Imagine a battery for a big bus that is as light as a feather but strong as armor. It uses smart sensors that act like a nervous system to tell the driver exactly how healthy the battery is in real-time. This means buses can charge faster and travel further without carrying unnecessary weight.
Heavy-duty vehicles struggle with the trade-off between battery energy density and the strict safety/weight requirements of the bus market. Current packs are often too heavy or lack the sophisticated monitoring needed for long-term durability.
A Ni-rich NMC battery pack featuring recycled carbon fibre casings, printed busbars, and a multi-scale monitoring system for SoC and SoH.
If you are an electric bus manufacturer dealing with heavy battery packs that reduce passenger capacity — this project developed a lightweight Ni-rich NMC pack that increases energy density. It allows for faster charging and better durability for city fleets.
If you are a battery supplier dealing with complex wiring and cooling systems — this project developed printed busbars and integrated cooling. This reduces the complexity of the battery management system and improves thermal performance.
If you are a materials company dealing with high carbon footprints in manufacturing — this project developed one-shot manufacturing for casings using recycled carbon fibre. This creates a sustainable, low-impact housing for high-power batteries.
The SIERRA battery pack sales are projected to generate a total cash flow of €87 million between 2030 and 2034.
The battery pack will be validated at TRL6 specifically for the electric bus market.
The project is expected to generate 8 patents and 13 Key Exploitation Results (KERs).
The project is expected to contribute to the creation of 525 jobs.
The project period runs from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2029.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 10 industrial partners representing 71% of the group. This strong commercial presence, combined with 4 research entities across 7 European countries, suggests a high focus on market viability and industrial application rather than pure academic research.
Contact the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) in France.
Contact us to identify licensing opportunities for the 8 upcoming patents.
