New battery software could reduce EV charging time by up to 25%
As the UK prepares for the big holiday getaway and with ever-increasing numbers of electric vehicles on our roads, the country’s EV rapid charging network is under significant pressure. However, new battery software could significantly reduce EV charging time.
Elysia, a new Battery Intelligence offering from WAE Technologies (WAE), draws on WAE’s experience in high-performance batteries, gleaned from being the sole supplier of batteries to electric motorsport series.
Its suite of algorithms can, it claims, bring a host of benefits for plug-in car makers, which in turn can be passed on to consumers, such as faster charging. With 12.6 million journeys set to be made this weekend, a significant number of which will be in electric cars, charging demand is likely to exceed supply at points during holiday peaks.
However, Elysia estimates that a typical electric vehicle could charge 25 per cent faster if it was equipped from the factory with its intelligent software, reducing the time spent on a charger by 10mins, alleviating queues and resulting in much more efficient use of the rapid charging network.
Elysia Commercial Lead Joe Jones explains:
“To protect the life of the battery, an electric car currently leaves the factory with a predetermined set of parameters that govern its performance, including how quickly it can be rapidly charged.
“Elysia offers car makers a much more sophisticated approach, unlocking improved performance safely and with no impact on battery life. Our intelligent charging algorithms allow the Battery Management System (BMS) to understand what conditions have the potential to damage the battery, and then using this information stay closer to the peak charging rate for longer, without ‘overstepping’ these limits.
“By reducing the time spent on a rapid charger by 10 mins for a typical electric vehicle, Elysia can increase the number of cars each charger can service in a day. The benefit here being twofold: happier electric car owners and more efficient utilisation of the existing rapid charging network.”
