Odin Automotive called B-ON and partners with Hitachi

Ohdin Automotive has announced a change of name to B-ON and a partnership with Hitachi Group following the acquisition of Deutsche Post StreetScooter. Under the new name, in addition to cars, the company will offer a number of new services.

These services should include maintenance and upkeep, charging and power management infrastructure, telematics and fleet management software and even drivers. They will be delivered through a combination of internal capabilities and external partnerships. B-ON works with Hitachi for charging and energy management infrastructure. Hitachi Venture, a venture company of Hitachi, will also become a shareholder.

“The acquisition of StreetScooter earlier this year has given us a great head start by providing vehicles with part of our complete electrification solution,” says Stefan Krause, CEO and Chairman of B-ON. “And now we are very pleased to have provided a partner like Hitachi to support the service part of our plan. We believe that this holistic solution is the key that will finally open the door for fleet owners to finally make this transformation. “

The companies involved do not disclose more details about Hitachi’s investment in announcing the latest developments. Tobias Ian, partner at Hitachi Ventures, simply says: “Hitachi Ventures is committed to supporting key initiatives that drive the transformation of society to zero-emission emissions. The B-ON vision of a world where last mile transportation works for humans and the planet is fully in line with ours, and has made them a natural strategic choice for us. ” He went on to say that their proven product, the team of experts behind it, and the insightful holistic business model are a unique and unmatched combination for accelerating the electrification of commercial parks around the world.

Earlier this year, Deutsche Post sold its electric vehicle subsidiary to the Luxembourg holding company Odin Automotive. As part of the deal, all rights and production know-how of Deutsche Post, including its subsidiaries in Switzerland and Japan, passed to a new owner. Deutsche Post DHL Group does not disclose the purchase price. It was later revealed that the German postal company had retained ten percent of the company’s shares. Originally, StreetScooter was founded simply because in 2014 alone, no German carmaker produced electric delivery vans, and Deutsche Post demanded electric cars for its own services.

Three weeks after the takeover of StreetScooter this year, Odin Automotive announced the official start of production of the first cars under the new leadership. They will be produced on an existing production line in Duren, Germany, and delivered to the former owner of the Deutsche Post DHL Group.

At the end of March this year, Odin Automotive became active in North America. The company has partnered with delivery company GoFor to deploy its electric carriers in the US and Canada from the second quarter of 2022.