LION Smart and LEAPENERGY secure the performance of their storage containers through multiple guarantees

LION Smart and LEAPENERGY secure the performance of their storage containers through multiple guarantees

Garching near Munich, 11 May 2026 – LION Smart Production GmbH, part of LION E-Mobility AG, is introducing a new contractual security model for grid-scale battery energy storage systems (Battery Energy Storage Systems, BESS). Together with their strategic partner LEAPENERGY, LION Smart and LEAPENERGY provide the customer with a performance guarantee for the LION Smart Storage 5000 covering a defined period following commissioning through two independent guarantee declarations. LEAPENERGY’s commitment is additionally secured by a bank guarantee from the Agricultural Bank of China, which is directly enforceable in Germany.

Automotive-grade quality as the foundation
LEAPENERGY is a 100 % subsidiary of the automotive OEM Leapmotor Group, which delivered a total of 596,555 electric vehicles in 2025 and in which Stellantis N.V. holds a 21 % stake. LEAPENERGY’s BESS manufacturing incorporates the same automotive-qualified processes that Leap Motor applies in EV battery production: incoming inspection of cells (EVE Energy, Sunwoda), 100 % end-of-line testing, automotive-grade BMS and thermal management, as well as end-to-end quality and traceability down to battery cell level. To accelerate its market entry in Germany beyond the automotive sector, LEAPENERGY supplements the special payment terms for upcoming projects with an additional bank guarantee as a contractual security feature.

“LION Smart looks back on more than 15 years of project experience in stationary storage. In the Factory Technical Acceptance we inspect each LEAPENERGY container at the Wuyi site to European quality standards before it reaches Germany,” says Dr. Joachim Damasky, Managing Director LION Smart Production GmbH. “The fact that LEAPENERGY additionally underpins its contractual obligation with a bank guarantee enforceable in Germany is a contractually robust security feature that has so far been rare in the market in this constellation.”

The early phase of operation is the critical period
The relevance of this security in the market is shown by the failure statistics: industry research analyses show that a significant share of BESS incidents occurs in the early phase after commissioning. According to the EPRI BESS Failure Incident Database, approximately 65 % of all incidents stem from operation and system integration. These effects typically become visible in the first months on the grid. Once a storage system runs stably, the risk of failure decreases markedly thereafter. The guarantee structure presented here is deliberately concentrated on this critical window after commissioning, where the protective effect for the customer is greatest.

Three layers of security
1. Two independent performance guarantees: LION Smart and LEAPENERGY fully guarantee to the customer the performance of the storage system for the agreed guarantee period following commissioning in accordance with the guarantee terms through two independent guarantee declarations. The customer may approach either the German or the Chinese guarantor.

2. Surety bank guarantee: LEAPENERGY’s guarantee obligation is additionally secured by an irrevocable bank guarantee, payable on first demand, issued by the Agricultural Bank of China, Zhejiang Branch. The guarantor holds the required BaFin license, and the guarantee is directly enforceable in Germany.

3. Factory Technical Acceptance in China. Prior to every shipment, LION Smart's “Flying Doctors” engineering team inspects each individual container at the factory in Wuyi to European quality standards. The signed FTA report forms the auditable baseline for the subsequent performance guarantee.

Target customers
The new guarantee model is aimed at project developers, utilities, industrial customers and their financing banks. From the perspective of financing institutions, one aspect is paramount: securing the payment flows generated by the project. This is precisely where the performance guarantee combined with the bank guarantee comes in: it underpins the storage system’s economic performance and therefore the cash flows required to service the financing. In doing so, the structure addresses the central criterion banks apply in their credit process and offers an ideal route to render projects bankable even where the storage system is not on the Tier 1 list. The security package is an integral part of the LION Smart Storage 5000 contract.


About LION E-Mobility AG:
LION E-Mobility AG is a manufacturer of lithium-ion battery packs. The company offers customized plug-and-play solutions for electric vehicles as well as for stationary and industrial applications. With a current annual production capacity of 2 GWh, LION is ideally positioned to address the growing demand for high-performance energy storage solutions. The company operates highly automated module assembly lines at its own production facility in Germany. LION's battery packs offer the highest standards in terms of safety, quality, and reliability. Founded in 2011, LION E-Mobility AG (ISIN: CH0560888270, WKN: A2QH 97) is listed on the stock exchanges in Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg.

www.lionemobility.com

About LION Smart GmbH
LION Smart GmbH is an innovative developer of battery systems focused on sustainable and high-performance energy storage solutions. The company offers cutting-edge technologies such as the immersion-cooled battery system and has comprehensive expertise in quality, industrialization, and production.

LION E-Mobility Investor Relations:
Kirchhoff Consult
lion@kirchhoff.de
ir@lionemobility.com | www.lionemobility.com

Media contact
LION Smart GmbH
press@lionsmart.com
www.lionsmart.com

Important notice / Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements and constitutes neither a binding offer nor a warranty commitment. The individual contractual terms of the respective purchase agreement and the wording of the issued bank guarantee shall prevail.