Setting the pace for electrification
CustomCells is the leading developer and manufacturer of application-specific battery cells and one of the pioneers of an electrified, sustainable future. Thanks to its comprehensive industry and technology expertise, coupled with its scientific background in the development and manufacture of high-performance battery cells, the company, which has sites in Itzehoe and Tübingen, is a natural partner in a world that is undergoing radical change.
The holistic megatrends of digitalization, connectivity, and sustainability are driving comprehensive electrification — on the road, in the air, above and underwater, and in the manufacturing industry. CustomCells is one of the world’s leading companies in the development of special lithium-ion battery cells. For this reason, the company is one of the pioneers of a sustainably powered future.
“Battery cell technology combined with the possibilities of digitalization can create the basis of a new key industry in Germany as a business location,” says Dr. Dirk Abendroth, CEO of the CustomCells Group since May. “The momentum could hardly be better,” Abendroth says, referring to companies like CustomCells. For one thing, he said, the need for sustainable battery technology is immense, given climate protection and the need to cut CO2 emissions worldwide. On the other hand, e-mobility is becoming increasingly important in the automotive and aviation sectors. CustomCells wants to benefit from this — and has long since set the course for target.
From spin-off to leadership in the field of special battery cells
Ten years ago, Leopold König and Torge Thönnessen founded CustomCells. What began as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology in Itzehoe developed into a full-service offering in the field of battery cell development and production in the years that followed.
“With our holistic support approach, we accompany customers from start to finish — from cell design to prototype construction to industrialization or project planning and the establishment of micro- and gigawatt factories,” says co-founder Leopold König. CustomCells now has more than 160 employees who develop battery cell technology at its sites in Itzehoe and Tübingen and put them into practice with small and medium volume production.
To this end, CustomCells relies on technological vertical integration through cooperation with best-in-class companies along the entire value chain — from material manufacturers to plant engineers to recycling specialists — while at the same time continuously developing its own in-house capabilities. A dedicated digitalization team is driving the use of automated data processing and artificial intelligence (AI) in the company’s battery cell production. That’s all part of why CustomCells continues one of the central companies setting the pace of technological transformation.
Road — Air — Water: All electric, all sustainable
Leading companies from the automotive sector already rely on the expertise of the independent company and trust its market knowledge. CustomCells also sees great potential in the aviation sector. Electric drones, air cabs and other innovative aircraft are likely to develop into a billion-dollar market in the coming years. “We are co-pilots for the next story of the century,” Dirk Abendroth is convinced. For the air cab start-up Lilium, CustomCells acts as one of the main suppliers and brings the existing battery technology of the aviation company to series production readiness in order to produce it tailor-made at its plant in Tübingen on the basis of state-of-the-art high-tech solutions.
Another application is the maritime industry. Whether container ships or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV, sustainable, innovative forms of propulsion under extreme conditions are in demand — and they almost require a lithium-ion battery. “We help our customers shape the energy transition of the maritime industry,” explains co-founder Torge Thönnessen. In addition, the company’s solutions create a new kind of flexibility. “Through the special battery cells, we enable innovation because the design of watercraft no longer has to be based on the battery.”
Special battery cells for maximum sustainability
Whether water, air, or road, lithium-ion technology is the power source of the energy transition and central to the comprehensive transformation of transportation. A “green battery” is much more than the material mix used. It’s based on the interaction of three factors: the materials used, the efficiency of the associated manufacturing processes, and a proprietary cell design that fits the specific requirement profile in each case. “CustomCells influences all three factors to achieve the highest performance and innovative power for our customers with maximum sustainability,” says Dr. Dirk Abendroth.
Master of Batteries is a publication by CustomCells, one of the leading companies in the development and series production of state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery cells.
