TIER, the European micro-mobility leader, has entered into partnership with Northvolt, a Swedish supplier of sustainable, high-quality battery cells and systems, to improve the environmental impact of batteries used for the company’s electric vehicles. A first pilot project will see 5,000 TIER scooters equipped with batteries from Northvolt.
TIER strives to set the bar for sustainability in the micro-mobility industry and is continuously pioneering the development of new standards. It was this foundation which motivated the Berlin-based provider to enter a partnership with Northvolt, a Swedish battery supplier that embraces renewable energy, recycling and practices of a circular economy to minimise the environmental impact of its batteries.
The mining of raw materials for batteries and battery manufacturing processes account for the majority of greenhouse gases an e-scooter or an e-vehicle is responsible for over its lifetime. Responding to this, Northvolt’s approach seeks to minimize the carbon and environmental footprint of batteries at every opportunity. At Northvolt, end-of-life batteries are treated as a valuable resource and recycled to provide raw materials for future batteries. Northvolt’s primary manufacturing facility, Northvolt Ett gigafactory, is powered by 100 percent fossil-free energy in northern Sweden. Meanwhile, Northvolt only sources materials from responsible suppliers, ensuring a supply and distribution chain that is free from conflict, child labor, and human rights abuse. The result: the greenest and most sustainable battery in the market.
Lawrence Leuschner, CEO and co-founder of TIER, said: “Sustainability is one of our core values at TIER and I am proud of the goals we have achieved so far. We are aware that there is still a long journey ahead, especially concerning the sustainable creation and recycling of lithium-ion batteries used for micro-mobility services.”
“A partnership with such an innovative and pathbreaking company as Northvolt is therefore all the more important to show that it is possible to use batteries that are manufactured in an environmental and socially responsible form of construction. This is the future.”
Peter Carlsson, Co-Founder and CEO of Northvolt, said: “Our ambition is to provide the world’s greenest battery for the electromobility markets. In TIER, we have found a like-minded partner that shares many of our values on that journey. We can’t wait to get started and look forward to supporting TIER in their rapid expansion plans.”
The pilot project, including the distribution of batteries for 5,000 e-scooters, is planned to be rolled out by the end of 2021. The partnership with Northvolt follows TIER’s recent introduction of user-swappable batteries, which allow riders to charge batteries themselves at charging stations in exchange for free rides. This year TIER will set up 4,500 charging stations within local businesses across Europe, creating a green energy network which the company hopes can transform urban transport and help to electrify cities.
SOURCE: Northvolt
