John Deere and its recently-acquired subsidiary Kreisel are to build batteries and chargers focused on the off-highway equipment sector at a new US facility in Kernersville, North Carolina.
Engines, drivetrain and heavy equipment provider John Deere says it has selected the location in Kernersville for the construction of a 10,700m2 manufacturing facility. The factory will expand production capacity of Kreisel Electric products.
Kreisel, which John Deere acquired majority ownership of in 2022, produces innovative battery technology for e-mobility and stationary systems as well as comprehensive Level 3 charging solutions. The planned production facility can support a production capacity of up to 2GWh.
John Deere says it plans to break ground on the new facility in fall 2023, and production is estimated to begin in 2025.
“Our customers are facing challenges that require their businesses to be more dynamic than ever before — we are engineering the technological innovations they’ll rely on to do so,” said Jennifer Preston, global director of John Deere Electric Powertrain and CEO of Kreisel.
“Together with Kreisel, John Deere is expanding its electrification portfolio to include more scalable solutions to meet a wider range of our customers' application needs. This investment is a great step forward as we work toward our goal of demonstrating viable low- and near-zero-carbon power solutions by 2026.”
With the new battery manufacturing facility, John Deere says it will develop and manufacture Kreisel battery and CHIMERO charger technology.
It adds that the new facility will support a production capacity increase to serve the off-highway market in North America. John Deere is also upfitting a facility to enable battery production at its factory in Saran, France — the primary manufacturing location for John Deere engines in Europe. The Kernersville-based facility will have a non-fossil-fuel-consuming design and is prioritising sustainable energy features in major systems like the facility’s HVAC, energy recovery system, state-of-the-art lighting, and irrigation control.
The new facility will be equipped to produce Kreisel battery pack designs and CHIMERO chargers as the company reinforces its commitment to helping John Deere and original equipment manufacturers navigate the rapidly changing electrification landscape. The power systems will be used in John Deere's own off highway machines, including road construction equipment from its Wirtgen Group subsidiary.
Pierre Guyot, senior VP of John Deere Power Systems and chairman of Kreisel, commented: “As the demand for electric solutions continues to increase, this strategic investment in growing our production capacity will help strengthen our position as an international battery technology leader. Within the evolving off-highway equipment market, we are prioritizing the development of a robust charging ecosystem and battery portfolio that can support and sustain the long-term adoption of electrification across a wide variety of applications."
