Swedish truck manufacturer Scania, a shareholder and customer of Northvolt, is reportedly in the process of securing an additional battery cell supplier, although the company has not yet disclosed the new partner’s identity.
Northvolt has been undergoing bankruptcy protection proceedings under U.S. law since November 2024. As a significant partner, Scania has been supporting the Swedish battery cell manufacturer during this challenging period. To reduce dependency and mitigate potential risks, the Traton subsidiary of Scania has arranged for an alternative source of battery cells, according to Reuters, citing company statements. However, Scania did not specify the name of the new supplier at this time.
In addition to these developments, Scania and its parent company, Traton, have issued a warning that they are unlikely to meet their 2025 target of reducing Scope 3 emissions by 20 percent. Christian Levin, CEO of Scania, stated, “We have accelerated our supplier strategy and secured future deliveries of battery cells.” Until now, Northvolt was the sole battery cell supplier for Scania.
Despite securing an additional supplier, Levin emphasized that Scania is not moving away from Northvolt. He noted that the company continues to receive ordered cells reliably from Northvolt and that several Scania employees have been deployed to Northvolt’s Skelleftea facility to support the ramp-up of production. Levin added that discussions between Scania and Northvolt are ongoing daily, with the aim of maintaining Northvolt as the primary supplier.
Meanwhile, Traton’s annual report released on Monday revealed that it wrote off the market value of its stake in Northvolt to zero. Other investors, including IMCO, Volkswagen, and Goldman Sachs, have also written down their investments, indicating a significant decline in Northvolt’s perceived market value. In response, Northvolt has refocused its efforts exclusively on cell production at its Northvolt Ett factory in Skelleftea, northern Sweden, and has discontinued other projects, such as the production of cathode active material (CAM), following a strategic review initiated in the summer.
In a recent update, Northvolt announced on LinkedIn that it has delivered its one millionth battery cell to customers, marking a significant milestone for the company.
Source: Electrive
