UMS powered by Deutz: how Lars Kool made his dream come true

"I am as happy as a child," says Lars Kool, founder of Urban Mobility Systems (UMS) in Oss, with a twinkle in his eye as he looks back on the takeover of the company by Germany's Deutz AG. A milestone that - right before the kickoff of the bauma in Munich - not only crowns his entrepreneurial dream, but can also herald the acceleration that the energy transition so desperately needs.

After years of pioneering the electrification of vehicles and construction machinery, UMS has joined a world player. In early April, Deutz AG surprised friend and foe alike with the announcement that the multinational is acquiring 100 percent of the Dutch company UMS. For Kool, it is a confirmation of his course: to build an independent tech company, without subsidies, but with a clear vision. "This is what I have always stood for. Each his specialty and working together to move forward. While I was a frontrunner, I was too small to really make a difference with big OEMs. Now I have so much power behind me. This rings true lol."

Everything in place

Lars Kool is not a man of empty phrases or powerpoints full of buzzwords. He prefers to talk with his hands. Preferably in the middle of the shop floor, among the engineers and other techies. When the deal with Deutz comes up, he sounds noticeably elated. "So much pressure has fallen off my shoulders. I've had to keep all the balls in the air all these years. Did engineering, but also purchasing, finance and human resources. I was asked many times and each time I said, no, I'm not selling the business. Until Deutz came along. They share our vision of electrification in terms of quality and safety and are not a competitor to our customers. Everything fell into place."

UMS, as an independent subsidiary, will continue all operations with the same employees. As technical director, Kool will be responsible for R&D within the Deutz New Technology division, or NewTech for short, which also includes battery manufacturer Futavis and is led by a Dutch CEO, Bert van Hasselt. The difference in terms of size, production capacity and global network is huge, Kool notes. "Now there is a solid party behind us, asking: what do you need? All of a sudden there are 1.5 million euros worth of batteries here. And another batch will follow in three weeks. Well, then even I am flapping my ears."

LinkedIn explodes

The official announcement of the acquisition came the day before the bauma in Munich, the world's largest construction machinery fair. "I was in the car on my way to Germany and had dozed off for a while after all those intensive weeks. I was startled awake because my phone kept beeping and vibrating. What's going on here? Well, so Deutz had put the news online. I was getting hundreds of apps and texts. My LinkedIn had exploded, really exploded." Once at the fair, the effect became immediately noticeable. "Everyone came by: OEMs, suppliers, dealers. Suddenly we were sitting at the table with all the major parties in the industry. Everyone wants to talk to us now. That feels so good!"

Apparently a German A-brand behind the name still makes more of an impression than ten years of pioneering in the polder. "UMS is my life's work, which I have built with hard and soul. You don't sell that for the money, but for the future. Deutz fully believes in what we are doing." What motivates Kool most of all is that his original mission - to accelerate the energy transition - now has more clout. "We have access to technology, know-how and an international distribution network you can say úu to. So we can make the leap from pioneer to global player in one go. Moreover, like us, Deutz believes that cooperation is the key to success."  

Powerful combination

This move allows UMS to deliver faster, smarter and on a larger scale. Doing what they do best, but with the strength of an international industrial partner behind them. "Now that with Deutz there is a rock solid company with 161 years of experience behind us, suddenly all doors open," says Kool. Dr. Sebastian Schulte, CEO of Deutz, adds: "With the acquisition of UMS, we are accelerating the development of battery-electric solutions for heavy-duty construction applications. UMS brings proven technology, strong customer relationships and practical experience with over 200 machines. Together with our industrial expertise, this is a powerful combination."

UMS' modular design allows zero-emission drive systems to be easily integrated into existing machines without major modifications.   

In many cases, the systems can be applied directly to existing assembly lines or are available as retrofit solutions for existing diesel machinery. The technology is further widely applicable for construction equipment and transportation vehicles, but also opens the door to defense applications. For example, feasibility studies are already underway for hybrid propulsion of vehicles such as the Bushmaster, where the quiet nature of the electric drive offers tactical advantages.

Rollercoaster over

Clearly, UMS Deutz offers a technological edge. After all, its zero-emission solutions - whether drivelines, power packs or charging stations - have amply proven themselves in practice. Deutz offers the capacity and financial muscle to start building on an industrial scale. "We are now UMS, powered by Deutz. The rollercoaster we were on, that's done. Now it just becomes the highway. We're going to scale up, industrialize. Leave that to Germans. No one else can execute something like this so perfectly in terms of production," Kool believes. In addition to Ulm (D), production from UMS in Arnhem will finally start in May. 

Behind the scenes, developments continue unabated. Following LFP batteries and an 800V system, UMS is busy working on a new standard in terms of battery technology, which will be launched during the course of this year. "That will be truly revolutionary, complete with a new safety protocol. With InnerWatch, we can remotely monitor the condition of batteries. I could go on and on like that. Grid balancing, for example, or vehicle-to-grid as a revenue model on weekends, when a machine is idle anyway. You're soon talking about 300 to 600 kWh of capacity that you don't need anyway. Why not make money from that?"

Not up to par

Oss remains a hub within the organization from which all R&D activities are directed. "We simply deliver the best quality. I have had engineers from large OEMs on the floor and their conclusion is unequivocal: we absolutely cannot match this. I am therefore always proud of our Dutch manufacturing industry." Still, Kool is not blind to the challenges in the market. "A big player like Northvolt is bankrupt, ELEO has to downsize. The world is changing and that makes one wary. On the contrary, Deutz is rock solid, capital powerful and offers an enormous service network. That will win the battle, especially against the Chinese. It's all about reliability and after-sales."

Kool sees that his approach is finally bearing fruit and is being widely emulated. Based on the vision that cooperation is the future, it is now possible to work on standardization within the industry and thus realize an acceleration for many producers. In conclusion, he has a nice metaphor: "I have always experienced this as a kind of mountain climb, an ordeal of long breath. I soon started walking my own pace and over the years have been overtaken quite a bit left and right. But in the end, those were all runners. This is not a race, but a marathon. Now, after all these years, I get to the finish line first. This is my destination."