Neuman & Esser and Ballard invest in Quantron and establish a hydrogen alliance

As part of a financing round of Quantron AG totalling up to 50 million euros, the world’s leading fuel cell expert Ballard Power Systems Inc. from Canada and the German hydrogen system specialist NEUMAN & ESSER are investing in Quantron AG.

NEUMAN & ESSER acquires a minority stake and also secures an option for further investment. Through this, the machine and plant manufacturer underscores its commitment to this strategic partnership. Ballard Power is also acquiring a minority stake in the single-digit million range and is additionally entering into development cooperation with QUANTRON for the accelerated market launch of fuel cell vehicles with up to 4 vehicles over the next 12 months.

Quantron AG is a specialist for battery- and hydrogen-electric commercial vehicles. With Quantron-as-a-Service (QaaS), it offers a 360-degree OEM-open ecosystem for its customers. The financing round accelerates the development of BEVs and FCEVs with a focus on Heavy Duty Trucks and further expands the QaaS ecosystem with QUANTRON’s partner network. In the future, the Hydrogen Alliance will provide customers with a 360-degree open platform that, in addition to zero-emission H2 vehicles, will also include the associated infrastructure ranging from H2 generation through to refuelling.

Ballard’s investment is intended to support the development of fuel cell vehicle platforms under a Joint Development Agreement (“JDA”). Ballard will be QUANTRON’s exclusive fuel cell supplier for these truck platforms.

Deutsche Tamoil/HEM has joined as the first fuelling station provider and will, together with QUANTRON, explore the feasibility of integrating H2 fuelling stations in its more than 400 HEM fuelling stations in Germany which would be upgraded in a stagged process with H2 fuelling capabilities whereby a focus being also on the heavy-duty truck fuelling requirements of QUANTRON´s customers.

Michael Perschke, CEO of QUANTRON, said, “The successfully concluded financing round gives us the necessary scope to further develop our Fuel Cell vehicle development, while at the same time consolidating our partner network required for this purpose.”

Stefanie and Alexander Peters, Managing Partners at NEUMAN & ESSER, added, “In order to meet the growing demand for hydrogen in this sector, through our strategic partnership we can combine infrastructure know-how with fuel cell vehicle technology in order to create an ecosystem.”

Randy McEwen, CEO of Ballard Power Solutions, said, “This is really one of the world’s first commercially available fuel cell trucks for the demanding 44 ton heavy segment.”