Automotive holding company Odin Automotive has rebranded to become B-ON and announced a new partnership with global technology firm Hitachi Group, which will see the two companies working together to develop a complete electrification solution for the last mile.
B-ON, which under its former Odin Automotive name acquired Deutsche Post DHL Group’s StreetScooter earlier this year, aims to simplify the process of electrification for fleet owners by making the process less fragmented and decentralised.
It aims to do this by creating an “all-inclusive” process, which will give fleet owners “everything they need to solve their problems” for electrifying their fleet. The complete electrification solution will include electric vehicles, smart delivery tools and reusable packaging, subscription access, service and maintenance, energy infrastructure and charging management, telematics and fleet management software and driver-focused solutions.
Partnerships and acquisitions
According to B-ON, the new services will be provided via a combination of internal capabilities and external partnerships, including a cooperation with global technology leader Hitachi Group, who will support critical charging and energy management functions for B-ON customers in Europe and Asia. Additionally, Hitachi’s venture capital arm, Hitachi Ventures, has come on board as one of B-ON's major investment partners.
“Acquiring StreetScooter earlier this year gave us a great head start, providing the vehicle piece of our complete electrification solution,” said Stefan Krause, CEO and Chairman of B-ON. “And now, we're very excited and honoured to be able to bring on a partner like Hitachi to support the service piece of our plan. We feel this entire holistic solution is the key that will finally open the door for fleet owners to make this change for good.”
B-ON acquired the rights and know-how for the production of StreetScooter electric vehicles in January this year. The deal included the intellectual property for the D17 and D20 vehicle models as well as the two wholly owned subsidiaries in Switzerland and Japan. Odin officially started production of the vehicles in February.
Alongside the acquisition, StreetScooter’s previous owner, Deutsche Post DHL placed an additional minimum order of 3,500 StreetScooter vehicles and retained a 10% investment stake in the venture. The delivery group currently operates more than 17,000 of the electric vehicles.
In March, Odin announced that it will also supply sustainable delivery company GoFor “several thousand” of its electric light commercial vehicles in the US and Canada from the second quarter of 2022 until end-2023.
One-stop-shop
The rebranding and partnership with Hitachi represent a clear commitment by B-ON to the electric vehicle market. The firm will now expand its offering beyond EVs to develop a complete suite of electrification solutions for last mile fleet owners, such as GoFor and Deutsche Post DHL, with new technological support from Hitachi Group and financial support from Hitachi Ventures.
“Hitachi Ventures is committed to supporting key initiatives driving society’s transformation to carbon net zero. B-ON's vision of a world where last mile transportation works for people and planet is perfectly in line with our own and made them a natural strategic choice for us,” added Tobias Jahn, Partner at Hitachi Ventures. “Their proven product, the expert team behind it, and the insightful holistic business model are a unique and unbeatable combination for accelerating the electrification of commercial fleets worldwide.”
