Leclanché launches new generation lithium-ion battery modules for electric trucking

On June 15, Leclanché SA, a world-leading energy storage company, launched the M3, a new generation of lithium-ion battery modules for energy-intensive electric transportation applications such as ships, commercial vehicles and railways, and opened a new production line in Europe dedicated to mass production.

The new module has higher energy and power density than the company's previous generation modules and is compatible with the full range of Leclanché batteries, including LTO 34Ah, G/NMC 60Ah and G/NMC 65Ah. The module has an extremely high cycle life of up to 20,000 cycles (LTO) or up to 8,000 cycles (G/NMC), significantly reducing the total cost of ownership and is ideal for commercial applications.

(Photo credit: Leclanché)

The modules are designed for a wide range of current and voltage outputs, with continuous currents up to 800A and a functionally safe BMS for battery system voltages up to 1,200V. In addition, the modules and production line are uniquely designed to allow for high flexibility in product configuration while maintaining production efficiency and traceability.

Each M3 module uses a functionally safe slave battery management system unit and communicates with a functionally safe master battery management system unit. The BMS provides several advanced energy-saving and safety features: it can meet ASILC and SIL 2 requirements; the slave measures the battery voltage and temperature and runs diagnostics such as open wire detection, reverse polarity protection and self-test; the dual-core processor provides redundancy, and the functionally safe operating system ensures reliability by providing built-in memory protection and task management; the power management integrated circuit provides stable power; power consumption is low during operation and further reduced in sleep mode; the temperature sensor is installed on the backup battery, which can quickly and accurately respond to temperature changes of individual cells, while ensuring high safety and precise temperature distribution monitoring to optimize module life.

The M3 module is designed to fully comply with relevant transportation certification standards for battery modules (selected configurations). The high-density G/NMC version of the module can be used in most transportation applications, while the LTO version is typically used in applications that require fast charging, such as certain bus and AGV (Automated Guided Vehicles) applications, and hybrid hydrogen fuel cell systems used in some trucks and trains.

New production line. Leclanché has opened a high-volume production line in a new factory near its headquarters in Yverdon-Les-Bains, Switzerland, and plans to move its headquarters into the building in the fourth quarter of this year.

The production line includes the latest technologies in quality and process control, laying the foundation for the transition to Industry 4.0. With this production line, Leclanché can reach an annual production capacity of 500 MWh and can be further expanded, which is more than six times the production capacity of the previous generation of components. In full operation, more than 60,000 modules can be produced each year. This makes Leclanché the first major manufacturer in Europe to mass-produce cells and modules.