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Proterra to Offer U.S. Cell Option for Batteries From 2027
Volvo Group Unit Says American Supplier Chosen but Not Yet Identified
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Key Takeaways:
- Volvo Group’s Proterra division said it will offer a U.S.-made battery cell option for its Onyx platform beginning in the first quarter of 2027.
- Proterra said growing tariff pressures and OEM demand for domestic sourcing prompted the move, with 88% of current battery pack costs tied to U.S. or allied suppliers.
- Proterra is taking orders while selecting a U.S. cell supplier, and Volvo and Mack plan to use Onyx batteries in upcoming electric flagship tractors.
Volvo Group’s Proterra division will begin offering a U.S. cell option to commercial vehicle customers of its Onyx platform, the battery manufacturer said. Shipments will begin in the first quarter of 2027, the company added.
Proterra’s Onyx battery platform currently uses cylindrical nickel manganese cobalt lithium-ion cells from LG Energy Solutions, manufactured in South Korea. Those cells will remain an option for customers.
Burlingame, Calif.-based Proterra has chosen the U.S. cell supplier, but has not revealed the identity, a company representative told Transport Topics in an email May 20. The company is already taking orders.
“The identification and qualification of our U.S. cell partner has been a deliberate, rigorous process, reflective of the same standards we hold across our supply chain for performance, safety and long-term reliability,” the representative said.
North American original equipment manufacturers are demanding greater domestic content in response to shifting geopolitical and policy environments, according to Proterra, prompting the company to expand cell options.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House for his second term, his administration has enacted widespread tariffs on imports and used duties as a key trade policy lever.
Trump cites a desire to boost American manufacturing as the predominant factor behind the shifting promises and implementation of country-specific and commodity-specific tariffs.
Batteries for commercial vehicles typically consist of cells, modules or packs, a management system, cooling system and protective casing.
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Proterra manufactures all its battery packs domestically at a facility in Greer, S.C., and sources subcomponents, including structural and enclosure elements, domestically or from nearshore partners.
The company’s battery packs are compliant with both Build America, Buy America and Buy America, with 88% of its cost basis sourced from the U.S., strategic partners and treaty allies, the representative said.
Beyond the cell, Proterra is working to onshore additional pack and module components as well as other major internal subsystems, a move that will result in a 650% increase in American content in its battery packs by 2028, the representative added.
Market participants are also asking for greater supply chain certainty, said Proterra CEO Chris Bailey.
Proterra’s customers include manufacturers from the medium- and heavy-duty truck, coach, commercial bus, school bus, off-highway equipment and specialty vehicle segments.
A battery-electric configuration of Volvo Trucks North America’s flagship VNL tractor, the VNL Electric, will be equipped with Proterra’s Onyx battery platform.
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The VNL Electric. (Volvo Trucks North America)
VTNA’s battery-electric truck range consists of five VNR Electric models: a 4x2 straight truck, a 6x4 straight truck, a 4x2 tractor, a 6x2 tractor and a 6x4 tractor.
Peter Voorhoeve, the truck maker’s top executive, told 2026 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo attendees that VTNA expects to begin taking orders for the VNL Electric tractor by the end of 2026.
The timeline is later than originally planned, but the climate for battery-electric trucks has chilled substantially since Trump returned to office.
Sister company Mack Trucks will also use Proterra products for a battery-electric configuration of its own flagship Class 8 tractor — the Pioneer. Mack pulled back the curtain on plans for the Pioneer Electric at the 2025 ACT Expo.
Volvo Group bought Proterra for $210 million in November 2023 after its parent company filed for bankruptcy. The deal closed in February 2024.
Editor's note: This article has been updated from the original to clarify that Proterra has chosen a U.S. supplier but not identified that company publicly.
