CATL and Kuehne+Nagel have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic collaboration covering battery logistics, transport electrification and emissions reduction. The agreement combines CATL’s battery expertise with Kuehne+Nagel’s logistics operations for projects across transportation and logistics value chains.
The partnership will initially focus on electrifying CATL transport flows in Europe and launching a heavy-duty truck battery-swapping pilot in China this year. The pilot will use a battery-swapping solution provided by Qiji and is part of the companies’ planned work on electrified transportation in Asia.
Other areas of collaboration include battery recycling and after-sales support. CATL and Kuehne+Nagel also plan to explore battery energy storage and charging solutions for logistics sites, linking vehicle electrification with supporting infrastructure at logistics facilities.
The companies said the planned activities will support their Scope 3 emissions reduction ambitions across their logistics and transportation value chains. Scope 3 emissions include indirect emissions associated with activities throughout a company’s value chain.
Akin Li, Executive President of CATL Overseas Business, said the expanded partnership is intended to contribute to the sustainability targets of both companies. Søren Schmidt, Executive Vice President Road Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel, said battery-electric vehicles are essential for reducing emissions from road freight and that the collaboration will combine CATL’s battery expertise with Kuehne+Nagel’s logistics knowledge.
The agreement comes as demand for electric vehicles and energy storage systems continues to grow. According to the announcement, demand for EV batteries increased by more than 75% in 2024, while global battery manufacturing capacity continued to expand through a growing network of gigafactories.
Source: catl.com
