It has been barely half a decade since Tesla announced that it was entering the commercial vehicles market with its Tesla Semi, and since then there has been a steady flow of newcomers offering their vision of an electrified hauling future. Among them is German company Quantron which has recently being working hard to find investment for its plans to produce a range of trucks, buses and vans.
The freshly carved landscape of the EV market is proving home to a raft of different brands and business models, all with their strengths and weaknesses. For instance, companies like Daimler or Renault can lean into their manufacturing knowhow but also have huge challenges to turn their huge plant and development operations into an emerging segment that is not without risk. Others like Volta or Tesla offer a fresh approach but not the established route to market and experience of their OEM competitors. Then you have a company like Quantron which sits somewhere between the two: an already established player in the maintenance and repair market with four factories across Europe and China, but not the vehicle production scale of most of its major competitors.
While the name is relatively new, the firm itself is a spin-off from Haller Group, a family-owned business with a history dating back 140 years. Today, it is best-known as a specialist in the maintenance and repair of transporters, trucks and buses but Quantron is an attempt to move deeper into the mobility space with new services but at the same time reconcile its future with a past that saw it play its part as an early pioneer of passenger and commercial vehicles production. At its head is the fifth generation owner Andreas Haller who has wisely decided to re-shape the business by bringing in financial restructuring and assets expert
Klaus Schmitt as CEO to help drive investment while Pirelli veteran Pedro Navarro concentrates on expanding the core business of being automotive trading partner of tyres and an automotive supplier in the field of new technologies such as batteries and fuel cells.
“It’s a very traditional company,” Haller explained on the sidelines of the most recent IAA.
“But we have much more experience than other companies we know. We have four factories in the world and 700 service partners; without aftersales support it’s not possible to sell products. Zero emissions is our main target and our main focus is electric batteries and hydrogen,” he continues. “We have unlimited possibilities.”
Last month, the company showcased the latest line-up of its vehicles to the media and investors, including the QUANTRON QARGO 4 EV Light-Truck which offers a top operating range of up to 350 km based on a LFP battery from the world market leader CATL and a battery capacity of 81kW – making it ideal for providing sustainable deliveries for the last mile.
The light transporter offers a a flexible wheelbase featuring 3.3 m of manoeuvrability and thus a very small turning radius, making it suitable for inner-city traffic. The performance of the environmentally-friendly transporter is also impressive with the operating range bolstered by a payload of 2,300 kg.
The QARGO 4 joins the all-electric Q-Heavy truck QUANTRON QHD BEV 50-280, a 4×2 tractor unit based on the DAF CF Space Cab. The zero-emission vehicle also features the low-noise levels of its smaller counterpart but a reduced operating range of up to 220 km and a maximum engine performance of 350 kW. The 280 kWh battery is fully re-charged within 6.5 hours and can power a vehicle with a gross combined weight of 18 to 44 metric tons.
Earlier this year, the company also premiered its new 12m long electric bus called the CIZARIS. The new bus model will be launched as an all-electric version (CIZARIS 12 EV), followed in 2023 by a fuel cell drive (CIZARIS 12 H) that uses a largely identical powertrain: both two- and three-door models with a total of nine interior layouts are available.
The low-floor character of the bus is made clear by the black contrasting center section, while the roof edge trim at the front and rear puts the emphasis on the battery technology, which is hidden there on the roof outside any crash areas. This allows the car to dispense with a conventional ‘aggregate tower’ in the rear and thus offer a proud 24 to 35 seats – in total, there is room for 81 to 95 passengers depending on the battery package – significantly more than many competitors. The rear end with its large taillights, some of which are made of frosted glass or have a light-striped design.
Like others in the C-EV segment, the company has recognised that this challenge facing the electrification of transportation is finding a way to make long-haul journeys as green as possible when last mile and short runs are able to charge almost constantly. To that end it has drafted in Canada-based Ballard Power Systems to produce its FC Move heavy duty hydrogen fuel cell power modules for its vehicles.
“We are bringing a platform of our most advanced fuel cell technology. Quantron has a great vision,” says Rob Campbell, Chief Customer Officer, Ballard Power System. “Vehicles contribute some 27% of emissions in Europe; and is hence a key target market for Quantron. It can now extend their customer reach by adding in fuel cell power to increase vehicle range and duty cycle to maximise payload and enable rapid refueling all to ensure best in class value for zero emission vehicles.”
Haller is keen to stress that the industry needs to avoid falling into two camps – electric versus hydrogen – if transporters are going to be confident in transitioning to low or zero carbon operations: “We are always talking black and white but it (fleet choice of alternative drivelines) is dependent on the range that we need. I would say grey middle weight is the best way! But for us, the long distance is only possible with hydrogen and it is very important to have Ballard on our side.”
To that end, many of its products will have an electric and a hydrogen version, and tie-ups with companies like Ballard – and a range that matches the diesel counterparts of its competitors – will enable the company to achieve its goal of becoming Quantron 2.0.
“The 12m bus is a very unique design and is a great opportunity to be in the market. The main topic now is how to have scaleable production. It’s not possible to have 50 units this year and 200 next because the bus business is limited but they need electric versions and that’s why our focus is on a new product on the lines and in the cities.”
