Battery service company YES-EU has opened a new service centre in the Oslo area together with NING Service, the official aftermarket service brand of Chinese battery giant CATL. Covering more than 10,000 m², the YES-EU NING Service Center will serve as a central hub for battery lifecycle management, hands-on training and certified repairs of high-voltage batteries.
The opening was attended by Kjartan Berland, mayor of Lillestrøm municipality, alongside YES-EU founder and chairman Benedikt G. Gudmundsson and senior representatives from CATL.
Repair instead of replace
The idea behind the centre is simple but important: a damaged or faulty battery should not automatically mean replacing the entire battery pack. Using advanced diagnostics, YES-EU works at component and module level, identifying the affected part and, where technically possible, repairing or replacing only that component.
That can significantly cut repair and insurance costs for fleet operators, leasing companies and insurers, while extending battery life and reducing waste. YES-EU repairs batteries both inside and outside the warranty period, using original manufacturer parts, and works on everything from electric buses, trucks and cars to marine applications and energy storage systems.
A partnership that started in the North
YES-EU and CATL have worked together since 2018, when YES-EU became CATL’s first battery service partner in Europe. What began as battery service in northern Europe has grown into a long-term cooperation covering the full battery lifecycle. More than 2,000 CATL-powered electric buses are already in operation across Europe.
According to YES-EU COO Egzon Bajrami, the partnership combines CATL’s battery technology and global brand with YES-EU’s local market knowledge, service infrastructure and operational experience, creating a stronger service ecosystem that can support customers locally throughout the life of their batteries.
| YES-EU | Key figures |
|---|---|
| New service centre | More than 10,000 m² in the Oslo area |
| Partnership | YES-EU and NING Service, CATL’s official aftermarket brand |
| Working with CATL since | 2018, as CATL’s first battery service partner in Europe |
| Countries | 14, plus a production base in Italy; target of 20+ |
| Workshops | Target of more than 100 battery service workshops in Europe |
| Team | More than 200 specialists |
| Battery service jobs completed | More than 1,800 |
| CATL-powered e-buses in Europe | More than 2,000 in operation |
Source: YES-EU.
Why Norway
The choice of Norway is no coincidence. YES-EU Switzerland CEO Pierre Savoy describes the Nordic region as a special focus area, as it is among the most advanced markets for electric mobility in the world. In Norway, he notes, 94 percent of all newly registered vehicles are electric.
The company also plans to launch a fully electric heavy truck later this year, with a battery capacity of between 600 and 1,013 kWh. It is currently being tested and has been developed with the demands of the Nordic market in mind.
From Icelandic bus company to battery specialist
YES-EU has an unusual background. The company was founded in Iceland in 1969 as a bus manufacturer and operator. Today it is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, and operates in 14 countries, including all five Nordic countries: Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Besides battery service, it supplies electric buses, minibuses, coaches and commercial vehicles, as well as charging infrastructure and energy storage.
Our take: the next big EV question
As the first generation of electric cars, buses and trucks gets older, the question is no longer only how to build batteries, but how to keep them working. Repairing a battery at module level instead of replacing the whole pack can make the difference between an affordable repair and a write-off, especially for fleets and insurers. In a market as mature as Norway, where EVs are already the norm, that kind of service is becoming just as important as the cars themselves.
