Advanced Battery Packs for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Challenges and the Future of E-Mobility

Electrification is no longer limited to passenger cars – it is rapidly expanding into the world of heavy-duty vehicles such as city buses, coaches, and trucks. Heavy-duty e-mobility presents unique challenges for battery technology. Commercial vehicles must carry significantly heavier loads and cover long distances, requiring battery packs with capacities measured in hundreds of kilowatt-hours (for comparison, a typical electric car has a ~50 kWh battery). These large batteries must deliver sufficient range and power while meeting strict durability and safety standards over many years of intensive use.

Manufacturers of so-called heavy-duty batteries – specialized battery systems for commercial vehicles – are developing advanced solutions to meet these demands. The key is to combine high energy density with reliability and safety. Polish manufacturer Impact Clean Power Technology S.A. is one of the pioneers in this field, supplying battery systems for thousands of electric buses worldwide (source: ). In this article, we explore the main challenges of heavy-duty e-mobility and the technologies enabling the development of advanced battery packs for buses and trucks. We’ll also look at real-world applications – from ADL and Temsa electric buses to the latest Scania trucks – to show how these solutions perform in practice.

Challenges of Heavy-Duty E-Mobility

Introducing electric drivetrains to heavy-duty vehicles involves several key challenges. First, a long driving range is required despite the vehicle’s high curb weight and payload. Achieving hundreds of kilometers of range for a bus or semi-truck means installing battery packs with capacities in the hundreds of kWh, which adds several tons of weight. Therefore, batteries must be designed with the highest possible energy density to minimize size and mass. Second, heavy-duty vehicles are used intensively – city buses can operate from dawn to dusk, and trucks may cover up to 1.5 million kilometers over their lifetime (source: ). Battery cycle life must match this usage, requiring cell chemistries and charging strategies that minimize degradation.

Another major challenge is fast charging. Public and freight transport logistics often demand minimal downtime – buses are charged overnight or during short breaks, while long-haul trucks need to recharge during mandatory driver rest periods. Battery technology must therefore support very high charging power. Today, systems enabling 150–375 kW charging (e.g., via CCS2 connectors or pantographs) are becoming standard, and the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) for trucks – allowing charging above 1 MW – is on the horizon. Batteries for such applications must be engineered for high current throughput – from the cell level to cooling systems and cabling – to ensure that fast charging does not shorten battery life or pose safety risks.

Equally important is durability and safety. Commercial vehicles operate in harsher conditions than passenger cars – they face shocks, vibrations, wide temperature ranges, and the risk of mechanical damage from collisions or off-road use. Battery packs must be built to withstand these factors: reinforced enclosures, vibration isolation, effective thermal management, and advanced electrical safety systems are essential. Meeting all these requirements simultaneously is a significant engineering challenge, but it is crucial for heavy-duty e-mobility to scale successfully. In the next section, we’ll explore the key technologies that make this possible.

Advanced Battery Technology for Buses and Trucks

Modern batteries for buses and trucks are highly specialized systems that go far beyond simple collections of cells. They incorporate a range of hardware and software solutions that together ensure the required performance and reliability. Key features of heavy-duty battery packs include modular and scalable design, flexible cell chemistry selection, and advanced battery management systems (BMS) that ensure safety and efficiency.

Modularity and Scalability of Battery Packs

Modular design is fundamental in battery systems for large vehicles. Instead of a single monolithic battery, sets of modules are combined into one system. This approach makes it easier to scale capacity – depending on the vehicle model’s requirements, the number of modules or entire packs can be increased. For example, the latest Alexander Dennis Enviro electric buses can be equipped with batteries in various configurations: 472 kWh for the double-decker Enviro400EV or 236–354 kWh for the smaller Enviro100EV, thanks to the modular concept. Similarly, electric trucks often have space for multiple identical packs – depending on the required range, 4, 5, or 6 packs may be mounted along the vehicle frame.

Modularity also simplifies servicing and replacement. Individual modules can be replaced relatively easily in case of failure or wear, without needing to swap out the entire large battery pack. Moreover, leading battery manufacturers like Impact Clean Power Technology design their systems with future upgrades in mind. Standardized dimensions and interfaces allow newer module versions to be installed in place of older ones when next-generation cells become available. This means the vehicle can gain improved performance (e.g., longer range) during its service life without structural changes to the bus or truck.

Importantly, modular heavy-duty battery packs can be distributed throughout the vehicle to optimize space and weight. In buses, they are often installed in the floor frame, rear body, on the roof, or even under the ceiling (e.g., under the upper deck in double-decker buses). Integration with the vehicle structure is key – a well-designed pack does not reduce passenger or cargo space. A good example is the collaboration between Impact and ADL, where the new battery layout in the Enviro400EV increased passenger capacity by 19% compared to the previous version (source: ).

Flexible Cell Chemistry Selection

At the heart of every battery are its cells, and their parameters determine the capacity, power, and durability of the entire pack. In commercial vehicles, there is no one-size-fits-all cell technology – different applications require different characteristics. Impact Clean Power takes a unique approach here: instead of relying on a single cell type, the company remains cell-agnostic, meaning it can use various chemistries (including NMC, LFP, LTO) from multiple suppliers. This allows for optimal technology selection for each project. For example: NMC cells (nickel-manganese-cobalt) offer the highest energy density and are preferred where range and weight are critical – hence their use in prismatic NMC cells for ADL electric buses (source: ). LFP cells (lithium iron phosphate) have slightly lower energy density but offer greater durability and safety, making them ideal for buses on shorter routes with frequent charging. LTO cells (lithium-titanate) are a niche technology with lower capacity but exceptional tolerance for high charge/discharge currents and thousands of cycles without degradation. This makes them suitable for hybrid hydrogen buses, where the battery acts as a power buffer. An example is the Enviro400FCEV double-decker hydrogen bus, which uses a 30 kWh Impact battery with LTO cells capable of frequent, rapid power exchange (source: ).

This flexibility also means constantly tracking advancements in battery chemistry. New generations of cells emerge every few years, offering better performance. That’s why Impact maintains a dedicated cell validation team that tests thousands of commercially available cells and continuously updates battery designs. As a result, customers receive battery technology that reflects the latest state of the art. This technology openness is a major competitive advantage – while some manufacturers are tied to a specific cell factory or chemistry, Impact can quickly adopt the best-performing cells available at any given time.

Advanced BMS and System Safety

The brain of every battery pack is the Battery Management System (BMS) – responsible for monitoring cell status, balancing performance, and ensuring safety. In heavy-duty vehicles, the BMS plays a critical role due to the system’s scale – a pack may consist of thousands of cells arranged in modules. Impact Clean Power develops its own proprietary BMS software and electronics, tailoring algorithms to the specifics of large batteries (source: ). The BMS monitors each module and cell in real time – tracking voltage, temperature, and current – and optimizes the system’s operation accordingly. This maximizes battery potential (e.g., range and efficiency) while protecting it from risks such as overheating, over-discharge, or uneven cell aging. Notably, Impact is already on the fifth generation of its BMS platform, continuously improving diagnostic functions and safety features.

Safety also encompasses the hardware design of battery systems. Heavy-duty vehicle battery packs feature multi-level electrical protections – from fuses and disconnect switches that isolate the high-voltage system in the event of a collision, to redundant sensors and control components. Redundancy means that critical components (e.g., communication modules or controllers) are duplicated so that a single failure does not disable the entire vehicle. Mechanical resilience is equally important: modules are enclosed in durable housings, and entire packs are installed in ways that minimize the transmission of vibrations and shocks. For example, in ADL buses, Impact batteries are not rigidly bolted to the floor but mounted using mechanical isolation – protecting them from body twisting and impacts from stones or road debris. Manufacturer Temsa highlights that its aluminum battery housing (8 mm thick) is both lightweight (approx. 55 kg) and highly resistant to damage and electromagnetic interference. These design details translate into greater fire safety and longer battery lifespan, even under continuous operation in harsh conditions.

Great emphasis is placed on quality control during battery production. At Impact Clean Power, all battery packs undergo comprehensive electrical and mechanical testing. The newly opened GigafactoryX near Warsaw features a fully automated production line, where assembly is carried out with high precision using robots (source: ). Every stage of assembly is digitally recorded (full process serialization), allowing traceability of parameters and components for each unit. The line is designed to produce batteries of various sizes simultaneously and can even safely remove a pack from production if the system detects any deviation. As a result, the final products are consistently of the highest quality, confirmed by the IATF 16949:2016 automotive standard certification. As Impact CEO Ireneusz Kazimierski emphasizes, the company’s batteries stand out in the market for their energy density and high safety level, supported by a proprietary BMS that protects the system from all threats. Attention to such details gives Impact a technological and quality advantage over many competitors, for whom heavy-duty battery production at this scale and standard remains a challenge.

Fully Automated Production Line at GigafactoryX). Impact Clean Power Technology’s fully automated production line (GigafactoryX) features 22 workstations and a Bosch Rexroth TS7 conveyor system. It can assemble complete battery packs weighing up to 1 ton every 11 minutes.

Applications and Technological Advantages

The development of these technologies translates into real-world deployments in commercial vehicles. Impact Clean Power Technology has delivered over 12,000 battery packs for around 4,200 electric buses worldwide, collaborating with numerous manufacturers. Impact batteries have been used in buses by Polish brand Solaris, Turkish Temsa, British ADL (Alexander Dennis), and in trolleybuses and e-buses by Kiepe Electric. Global industry leaders are also investing in electric buses and trucks – for example, Scania has developed its own batteries in collaboration with Northvolt, tailored for the full lifecycle of its trucks (1.5 million km. Below, we explore two case studies: ADL electric buses with Impact batteries and Scania’s next-generation heavy-duty vehicles.

Alexander Dennis (ADL), a leading UK bus manufacturer, is launching a new generation of Enviro series buses – the double-decker Enviro400EV and the single-decker Enviro100EV – equipped with batteries supplied by Impact Clean Power. These packs use the latest NMC cells and are custom-designed to meet ADL’s requirements. The results are evident in vehicle performance: the double-decker features a 472 kWh battery, offering around 260 miles (418 km) of range on a single charge, while the smaller Enviro100EV offers 236 or 354 kWh, sufficient for 285 miles (458 km) (source: ). Importantly, optimized battery dimensions have freed up more passenger space – a 19% increase in capacity in the double-decker model. Batteries are located in the chassis and rear body, with floor-mounted units mechanically isolated from the frame to protect against deformation and impacts during driving (source: ). ADL buses also feature dual charging systems: standard CCS2 connectors allow charging up to 150 kW, while optional roof rails enable pantograph charging at 300 kW. This demonstrates that even large vehicles can be efficiently operated electrically when the battery is properly designed. ADL offers an 8-year warranty on its batteries, reflecting confidence in their durability under daily use.

Scania, a well-known manufacturer of trucks and buses, is also heavily investing in heavy-duty electromobility, though it has taken a different approach – designing and producing its own battery modules and packs. In September 2023, Scania opened a new battery factory in Södertälje, integrating cells supplied by Northvolt into complete modules and packs for its trucks. This allows Scania to precisely tailor battery parameters to the needs of heavy transport. For example, its latest batteries are designed for a lifespan of 1.5 million km – equivalent to the full lifecycle of a typical tractor unit. This was achieved through optimized NMC cell chemistry for long life and high load tolerance. Scania’s batteries feature a modular design – trucks can be configured with different numbers of modules, allowing customers to balance range and payload. Charging capabilities are equally impressive: the batteries support 375 kW charging and are future-proofed for MCS (Megawatt Charging System), with wiring and cells already designed for the high currents required (source: ). Scania also emphasizes a comprehensive approach to safety – extensive thermal, electrical, and crash testing ensures compliance with strict commercial vehicle standards. While Scania develops its batteries in-house, the direction is similar to that of suppliers like Impact – maximizing the alignment of battery technology with the demands of heavy transport, with a strong focus on safety and longevity.

Next-Generation Alexander Dennis Enviro Electric Buses with Impact Clean Power Technology Batteries The new generation of Alexander Dennis Enviro electric buses (Enviro400EV and Enviro100EV) is equipped with Impact Clean Power Technology batteries. These vehicles use high-energy-density prismatic NMC cells and modular battery packs that allow for future upgrades without altering the bus structure. It’s worth noting that other bus manufacturers are also adopting advanced battery solutions. Temsa (Turkey), for example, equips its e-buses with high-energy-density battery packs and proprietary BMS. The company claims that a single battery pack is powerful enough to supply the International Space Station for a day – a fun comparison that illustrates the scale of energy stored in heavy-duty batteries. Meanwhile, Polish manufacturer Solaris has been using Impact Clean Power Technology batteries in its Urbino Electric buses for years and continues to increase their capacity and range as technology advances. These real-world examples show that bus and truck battery technology has reached a level of maturity that enables widespread deployment. All manufacturers emphasize that close collaboration with battery suppliers and drivetrain integrators is key to success – only through such cooperation can the entire vehicle be optimized to fully leverage the battery’s potential.

The Future of Batteries in Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Looking ahead, we can expect continued rapid advancements in battery technology for heavy transport. One major direction is increasing cell energy density, which will reduce battery weight or extend vehicle range. New materials – such as silicon anodes or solid-state electrolytes – are already on the horizon and could boost battery capacity by tens of percent in the coming years. For long-haul trucks, such improvements could be game-changing, making them a viable alternative to diesel even on routes over 1,000 km. At the same time, fast-charging capabilities will continue to improve. The Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is expected to become widespread by the end of the decade, reducing the charging time of large batteries to just tens of minutes. To make this possible, even more efficient battery cooling systems and high-power infrastructure will be required.

Another important aspect will be battery lifecycle management. Already today, there are plans to reuse batteries from buses and trucks in stationary applications (so-called second life) or to fully recycle them. Impact Clean Power Technology, as part of the European battery supply chain, ensures its designs facilitate disassembly and reuse of battery modules. Meanwhile, Scania’s partnership with Northvolt reflects a trend toward vertical integration – vehicle manufacturers want secure cell supply and influence over cell parameters, which is why they invest in their own cell factories or strategic partnerships. We can expect new alliances and gigafactory projects to emerge in the heavy-duty battery market, with battery prices per kWh gradually decreasing thanks to economies of scale.

Impact Clean Power Technology plans to play an active role in these transformations. The launch of its GigafactoryX, with a target annual capacity of 5 GWh by 2027, will support growing demand for batteries for buses and other electric vehicles. As one of Europe’s leaders (aiming for a Top 3 position in the public transport battery segment, Impact is investing heavily in R&D to maintain its technological edge. Its flexible cell technology, in-house BMS, and experience with thousands of deployed batteries allow the company to respond quickly to trends – whether it’s adopting new cell chemistries or implementing even smarter energy management systems. The future of heavy-duty e-mobility looks bright. Zero-emission heavy vehicles are already proving themselves on city streets and international roads, and as battery technology advances, their adoption will accelerate. Solutions such as modular high-energy-density batteries, advanced BMS with safety features, and ultrafast charging are the pillars of this revolution. Impact Clean Power Technology, with its know-how and innovative production line, is setting new standards in heavy-duty battery design – demonstrating the structural and technological advantages achievable in this sector. While competition is fierce, growing market demand means that the most flexible, innovative, and quality-focused battery suppliers will play a key role in transforming freight and public transport toward e-mobility. The challenges are significant, but as the examples above show, the battery industry is already delivering answers – and the coming years will bring even more refined solutions.