Yanmar’s ELEO opens advanced battery facility

ELEO has opened its new battery factory and the company, which in 2022 became part of Yanmar Power Technology Co. Ltd., did it in royal style, as King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands performed the opening ceremony before more than 250 guests at the company’s Automotive Campus in Helmond, the Netherlands.

The King used an electric excavator to unveil the first battery module produced by the plant.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (center) presided over the opening of ELEO’s new advanced battery manufacturing facility in Helmond, the Netherlands, using an electric excavator to unveil the first battery module produced. (Photo: ELEO)

Since its founding in 2017, ELEO’s focus has been developing and manufacturing battery systems for a wide range of applications, including construction and agricultural machinery and commercial vehicles.

“The opening of our factory is a special moment for the entire team, so we are very proud that His Majesty King Willem-Alexander performed the official opening of our new facilities,” said Bas Verkaik, co-founder ELEO.

“With this factory we can significantly increase our capacity to meet the growing demand for our battery systems. More than this, our factory serves as a blueprint for further international expansion in the coming years.”

Equipped with advanced manufacturing machinery enabling a fully automated battery assembly process, the new battery production plant covers an area of 3000 m2 (32,291 sq. ft.) with further plans to triple the facility’s floor space to 9000 m2 (96,875 sq. ft.).

The opening of the new facility aligns with the beginning of production for ELEO’s new generation of battery systems. The new generation product line offers industrial OEMs ultimate flexibility, with a scalable approach devised to meet the wide variety of requirements of off-highway applications, the company said.

Since the Yanmar Group acquired the majority share of ELEO, the companies have been working together to achieve the goal of global electrification within the industrial sector. The opening of the new battery factory is a major step toward that goal, as it allows for a projected annual production capacity of 10,000 battery packs.