Battery and energy storage company Exide Technologies has acquired BE-Power GmbH in Germany and said it plans to develop its lithium-ion technology in existing and new energy storage applications.
BE-Power has developed its own battery management system (BMS) alongside system and software engineering. Exide, headquartered in France, said it will combine strengths and invest further in the lithium-ion business.
Stefan Stübing, CEO and President of Exide Technologies, said: “This strategic acquisition reinforces our commitment to pushing the boundaries of energy storage technologies.” The company said it intended to achieve synergies from lithium-ion technology specialism joining with its strong market presence in battery and energy storage for automotive and industrial applications.
BE-Power said the fourth generation of its BMS is focused on traction batteries for logistical applications, such as AGVs, forklifts, storage and retrieval machines. It is scalable.
Financial details were not disclosed.
Exide predicts that all vehicles will still require a 12V lead-acid battery in 2028; 56% will feature a start-stop system by 2028 and a quarter of cars will be hybrid or fully electric in 2030, and still need an auxiliary lead-acid battery.