Phoenix Contact now offers power supplies for high-power systems including e-mobility infrastructure.
The CHARX AC/DC and DC/DC power modules (with maximum power point tracking for solar panels) can be directly fitted into a standard EV charging station 19-inch cabinet. These modules can also be used for energy storage, hydrogen electrolysis, AC microgrids, high-voltage DC grids, and off-highway charging. The AC/DC input module has a range of 350 to 530 V AC, the DC/DC module has an input range of 300 to 825 V DC, and both power modules have an output range from 150 to 1,000 V DC.
E-mobility applications can easily integrate the modules’ CAN bus interface, says Phoenix. For installation and maintenance, the modules use Phoenix Contact’s Push-Lock and T-LOX connection technologies.
By most accounts, anxiety about charging is the #1 objection for potential EV buyers, so automakers are wise to do what they can to help facilitate both at-home and on-the-road charging for their customers.
Stellantis is addressing the issue with the launch of Free2move Charge, “a 360-degree ecosystem that will seamlessly deliver charging and energy management to address all EV customer needs.”
“As the pace of mainstream EV adoption accelerates, our customers need us to be more than just a mobility provider,” said Ricardo Stamatti, Senior VP of the new Stellantis Charging and Energy Business Unit. “We are taking the lead in establishing a dedicated business unit that will support our bold electrification strategy and act as a natural extension of our iconic brands.”
Stellantis customers “will be able to create a personalized package they can change and adapt at any time during the ownership experience, allowing it to evolve and always be tailored to their needs.”
This package has three parts:
Free2move Charge Home offers installation and financing of home charging. In the future, the service will include Vehicle-2-Home, Vehicle-2-Grid and energy management systems.
Free2move Charge Business is “a one-stop-shop platform with a full suite of charging and energy services” that will offer planning support, installation and maintenance for EV charging infrastructure.
Free2move Charge GO offers access to public charging points through partners in North America and Europe. Future features include Plug and Charge, reservations, loyalty programs and mobile charging on demand.
Free2move Charge will be integrated with vehicle-branded mobile apps and the STLA SmartCockpit platform, which will be launched in 2024.
No more details are on offer at this point. Stellantis isn’t announcing any new public charging deployments, or any new charging features, so for now Free2move Charge sounds like basically a rebranding exercise. We’re always happy to see automakers pay more attention to charging, but there’s nothing new about offering package deals on home chargers, access to public charging networks, or turnkey services for business customers. It remains to be seen whether Stellantis will forge its own path in the charging field, or if it will eventually follow the lead of Ford, GM and the other automakers who’ve—for better or for worse—opted to outsource their charging services to Tesla.
As EVs replace legacy vehicles, electrical grids will need to be expanded and upgraded, and this isn’t going to be cheap. The California Public Utilities Commission’s Public Advocates Office is in the process of preparing an estimate of the costs. Utility Dive reports that the CPUC’s preliminary research indicates that upgrading the grid across the territories of the state’s three investor-owned utilities could cost between $15 billion and $20 billion by 2035.
The good news is that this estimate is far lower than the $50-billion price tag indicated by a similar study conducted by analytics firm Kevala for the CPUC in 2021. The Public Advocates Office plans to complete its study by August.
Kevala’s 2021 study found that, without any load-management of other mitigation measures, system-level peak load could increase by as much as 56% from 2025 to 2035, mainly due to EVs, and upgrading the grid to handle the increased load could cost some $50 billion.
The Public Advocates Office’s study used a different model, based on the California Energy Commission’s integrated energy policy report. To develop its estimates, the office used the registered addresses of all vehicles in California to predict where EV uptake is likely to occur, then modeled the additional charging load the state can expect.
The earlier study forecast a larger increase in peak load, based on a different model and set of assumptions. Kevala predicted that EV charging will hit a peak at 9 pm, thanks to non-EV specific time-of-use rates, but the Public Advocates Office’s model shows EV charging taking place more evenly across the day.
“No single study or pair of studies, particularly this early in the electrification process, can definitively answer such a complex question as what the costs of distribution grid upgrades will be,” said the Public Advocates Office.
Kevala is pleased to see that its study has spurred other analyses, Trina Horner, the company’s VP of Professional and Advisory Services, told Utility Dive. “Kevala’s assumptions are unmitigated. Mitigations can take many forms and all of them, taken individually or collectively, can help to manage grid overloads and costs,” she added.
“The information provided by these studies should help policymakers understand what the cost impact of grid upgrades will be and, therefore, may help to inform how policymakers approach strategies for mitigating these costs,” such as incentives to influence charging behavior, said the Public Advocates Office’s Amin Younes.
EV manufacturer Mullen Automotive has signed a vehicle purchase agreement with national fleet leasing provider MGT Lease Company for 250 commercial Mullen 3 cab-chassis electric trucks.
The contract is valued at $15,755,000, and vehicle delivery will be completed in phases between August and December 2023. The orders will be fulfilled through Randy Marion Automotive Group, a distributor of Mullen’s commercial EVs.
MGT is a Mullen Automotive repeat customer, having initially purchased electric cargo vans in March 2023. MGT’s order follows Randy Marion’s initial order for 1,000 units placed in early May 2023.
The Mullen 3 weighs 5,189 pounds and has a maximum payload of 5,802 lbs and a GVWR of 11,000 pounds. Its 120 kW electric motor and 89 kWh battery give it a power output of 160 hp and a range of 130 miles.
“Our agreement with MGT enables them to offer their fleet customers a competitive commercial EV vehicle offering, including both our EV cargo van and now the larger Class 3 EV truck,” said David Michery, CEO and Chairman of Mullen Automotive.
Sadly, electric truck maker Lordstown Motors’ bumpy and colorful ride appears to have come to an end. The company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and is suing business partner Foxconn for allegedly reneging on an investment deal.
Lordstown said it will try to sell its assets, and reduce its 243-person staff to a skeleton crew in order to complete existing orders for vehicles. The Washington Post reports that the company produced only 65 of its Endurance pickups since its 2018 founding.
Now Lordstown has accused Foxconn of refusing to deliver all of the $170 million it had promised to invest. Foxconn has rejected those claims.
Lordstown founder and former CEO Stephen Burns has sold his entire stake in the company, according to a regulatory filing. Burns resigned from the role of CEO in 2021.
ABB e-mobility has announced three new additions to its already extensive North American EV charging portfolio.
ABB e-mobility’s Terra 360 all-in-one charger was designed to pack high power into a small footprint, delivering up to 360 kW of power. The UL-certified Terra 360 is equipped with CCS-1 in a dual-outlet configuration that can charge two vehicles simultaneously. It’s aimed at space-constrained EV fleet charging depots that require high-power charging.
The new HVC360 power cabinet is designed to enable site design flexibility. It can charge up to 4 buses or trucks at the same time. The charging dispensers can be installed back-to-back, side-to-side, or along a wall, and can be set as far as 328 feet (100 meters) from the power cabinet itself. Dynamic charging capability allows the HVC360 to allocate differing levels of power to each dispenser based on the number of vehicles plugged in or their charging requirements. A single cabinet can support multiple dispenser types, from CCS to pantograph, allowing fleet operators to mix and match charging configurations.
The high-output Terra AC Wallbox 40/80 A can be configured to provide from 9.6 to 19.2 kW of output power, making it suitable for light- and medium-duty EVs with larger batteries. This UL-rated and Energy Star-certified AC charger is equipped with a J1772 Type 1 connector. The CTEP-certified screen display version supports revenue-grade metering. The charger also features multiple internet connectivity and authentication options, including OCPP 1.6J, and has dedicated apps for fast commissioning as well as managing charging sessions and usage.
“ABB e-mobility is committed to developing and deploying advanced charging technologies that are ready for the current and future requirements of public charging sites as well as the unique needs of every size EV fleet,” said Bob Stojanovic, Senior Vice President for ABB e-mobility in North America.
The company has also announced that it will add Tesla’s NACS connector as an option on its products “once the testing, design, and validation steps are complete.”
The electric vehicle (EV) marketplace is expected to grow rapidly this decade. This latest Avery Dennison Performance Tapes white paper explores the use of films integrated with pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes in EV battery packs. The white paper sets the demand expectations with key research forecasts, including:
Avicenne Energy forecasts the EV marketplace to grow from 2.3 million global sales in 2020 to 25.5 million sales by 2030, a CAGR of 27%
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids are expected to account for another 21 million vehicles sold. This growth is driven by changing consumer tastes, regulation and legislative action such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act
By 2030, EVs, HEVs, and PHEVs will require 2 million MWh of battery power. Global battery production will grow to 2,800 GWH.
These insights bode well for manufacturers of battery packs used in EVs and other eMobility applications. Yet, significant engineering challenges remain, including the need for high-performance dielectric protection solutions that are cost-effective and highly compatible with modern, compact battery pack designs.
Due to this marketplace growth, there’s an increasing demand for EV battery packs that are reliable, safe and efficient. One of the critical design challenges facing manufacturers during this time is the prevention of electrical arcing. Traditional electrical insulation solutions often force EV battery manufacturers to make trade-offs involving cost, performance and mechanical properties. This white paper demonstrates how high-performance tapes offer not only the electrical insulation batteries need but can provide additional properties that make them a superior choice to traditional electrical insulation materials.
Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion High-Tech has introduced its lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) based Astroinno L600 battery cell and pack, which it plans to start mass producing in 2024.
Manganese-doped LMFP Astroinno batteries offer a 1,000 km range, over 1,800 cycles of 18-minute fast charging and 190 Wh/kg specific energy, according to the company. Gotion High-Tech uses co-precipitation, doping encapsulation technology, new granulation technology and electrolyte additives to solve the challenges of Mn dissolving at high temperatures, low conductivity and low compaction density.
Astroinno battery pack
Astroinno’s simple design and sandwich-structure double-sided liquid cooling technology decrease the battery pack’s number of structural elements and weight by 45% and 32%, respectively, according to the company. Moreover, its electrical design reduces the length of the battery pack wire harness from 303 meters to 80 meters—26% that of previous battery packs—but the volumetric cell-to-pack ratio has reached 76% and the in-house thermal insulation materials can endure 1,200° C.
“The Astroinno L600 LMFP battery cell has a [specific energy] of 240 Wh/kg, an energy density of 525 Wh/L, a cycle life of 4,000 times at room temperature and a cycle life of 1,800 times at high temperatures. It is due to the high energy density that we can enable a range of 1,000 km without relying on NCM materials,” said Dr. Cheng, Executive President of Gotion High-Tech’s International Business Unit.
Aston Martin is working on a new supply agreement with the Lucid Group. Under the proposed deal, Lucid would supply Aston Martin with its current and future powertrain and battery technologies, which will be at the center of Aston Martin’s new in-house EV platform.
This all-new bespoke platform will form the basis of the company’s future electrified model range; from hypercars to sports cars, GTs and SUVs. Aston Martin plans to launch a plug-in hybrid supercar called Valhalla in 2024, and to debut its first pure EV in 2025.
Aston Martin’s electrification program is a part of its Racing Green sustainability strategy, which calls for an investment of over £2 billion in both ICE and EV technologies over the next five years.
Aston Martin will have access to Lucid’s proprietary EV powertrain technology, including its high-performance twin motor unit, battery tech, and Wunderbox charging system. Aston says the benefits include exceptional battery system efficiency, inverter tech that controls the rate and efficiency of energy discharge and recuperation, and twin motor tech that facilitates infinitely tuneable four-wheel torque vectoring.
Aston will pay Lucid for its tech with a combination of cash payments and Aston Martin shares.
This supply deal is the first of its kind for Lucid.
Aston Martin has also formed partnerships with Mercedes-Benz, which provides the British automaker with powertrain and electric/electronic architectures; and Geely, which now owns 17% of Aston Martin.
Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman of Aston Martin, said: “The supply agreement with Lucid is a game-changer for the future EV-led growth of Aston Martin. Based on our strategy and requirements, we selected Lucid, gaining access to the industry’s highest performance and most innovative technologies for our future BEV products.
“Along with Mercedes-Benz, we now have two world-class suppliers to support the internal development and investments we are making to deliver our electrification strategy. With the recently announced long-term partnership with Geely, we will also gain the opportunity to access their range of technologies and components, as well as their deep expertise of the key strategic market of China.”
Roberto Fedeli, Chief Technology Officer of Aston Martin, said: “The proposed agreement with Lucid forms a significant pillar of our electrification strategy, providing Aston Martin with access to the industry’s leading powertrain and battery systems technology. Combined with our internal development, this will allow us to create a single bespoke BEV platform suitable for all future Aston Martin products, all the way from hypercars to sports cars and SUVs. In addition, we will continue to expand our in-house powertrain capabilities.”
The EU parliament has approved a new set of rules designed to make EV batteries more durable, more sustainable and better performing.
The new regs, which will come into force once the European Council has formally endorsed the text, affect the design, production and waste management of all types of batteries sold in the EU. They are designed to ensure that the soaring demand (the EU is expected to have some 30 million EVs by 2030) is met by greener batteries with lower emissions, produced using recycled materials.
Under the new rules, every battery will have to carry a digital product passport that documents details about its environmental footprint at every phase of the battery’s lifetime, from raw material extraction and processing to battery production to recycling.
Eight years after the regulation goes into force, battery-makers will be required to use minimum amounts of recycled cobalt, lithium, nickel and lead. Battery recycling targets on the consumer side will also be raised. EU countries are currently expected to collect 45% of used batteries for recycling, and according to data from 2020, this target has largely been met. Under the new rules, this objective will be raised to 63% by 2027 and 70% by 2030.
“For the first time, we have circular economy legislation that covers the entire life-cycle of a product—an approach that is good for both the environment and the economy,” said Achille Variati, a member of Parliament who has pushed the legislation. “Our overall aim is to build a stronger recycling industry, particularly for lithium, and a competitive industrial sector as a whole. These measures could become a benchmark for the entire global battery market.”
US vocational truck maker Autocar has added an EV assembly line to its manufacturing facility in Birmingham, Alabama. Industrial engineering company Triz Advanced Manufacturing and Blackstone Construction were instrumental in developing and building the dedicated EV component line.
The line features digital confirmation terminals and scanners for quality control of each vehicle’s battery and electrical architecture. The first powertrain components to be assembled will be the company’s in-house-designed powerpacks and HV battery packs.
The EV Terminal Tractor is Autocar’s first truck to include components made using the Triz Advanced Manufacturing design. Power units and battery packs made in Birmingham will be installed in the vehicles at the company’s facility in Hagerstown, Indiana, where they are built.
Stellantis Ventures, Stellantis’s corporate venture fund, has invested in Lyten to speed up the commercialization of the Silicon Valley startup’s 3D Graphene applications for the mobility sector.
Applications include the LytCell lithium-sulfur EV battery, lightweight composites and unique on-board sensors. Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries have a 60% smaller carbon footprint than lithium-ion batteries since they do not contain nickel, cobalt, or manganese. Lithium-sulfur battery raw materials can potentially be acquired and manufactured locally in North America or Europe to limit supply chain disruptions. In 2023, Lyten will start to produce lithium-sulfur batteries and 3D graphene-infused composites for specialist markets in addition to EV batteries.
“Among the automotive product innovations being transformed by Lyten 3D Graphene are lithium-sulfur batteries with the potential to deliver more than twice the energy density of lithium-ion, payload-improving lightweight vehicle composites, and new modes of sensing that do not require chips, batteries or wires,” said Dan Cook, President and CEO of Lyten.
NOVONIX, a battery materials firm, and LG Energy Solution, a battery manufacturer, have announced a partnership to produce artificial graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries. NOVONIX also agreed to issue $30 million in unsecured convertible notes to LG Energy Solution.
LG Energy Solution and NOVONIX will engage in a separate purchase agreement when specific development work is completed, allowing LG Energy Solution to buy up to 50,000 tons of artificial graphite anode material over a 10-year period from the start of mass production. NOVONIX’s Tennessee facility will create graphite anode material. The material for testing will be supplied from NOVONIX’s pilot plant in 2023 and its mass production facilities in 2024 and 2025. NOVONIX has also proposed developing a greenfield factory, which will produce 30,000 tons of active anode material per year.
LG Energy Solution said it plans to maximize the benefits from the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) by expanding local battery production, as well as establishing a local supply chain for battery components. The company aims to expedite the localization of manufacturing and assembly of battery components, including electrodes, cells and modules.
“Our partnership with NOVONIX once again demonstrates LG Energy Solution’s determination to meet our customers’ needs for lRA-compliant batteries,” said Dongsoo Kim, Senior VP of Procurement Center at LG Energy Solution. “We will work with NOVONIX in developing a new source of artificial graphite anode material.”
Digital signage company LG Business Solutions USA has unveiled its new dual-sided 55-inch display that is integrated with the Broadsign digital-out-of-home (DOOH) advertising software platform. It was demonstrated for the first time in June.
The Broadsign platform offers access to a network of more than 35 integrated advertising buying platforms, including The Trade Desk, Google DV360 and Yahoo.
“Media buyers are seeking new ways to reach EV owners and audiences near restaurants, retail environments and other locations where EV chargers typically reside. LG’s new solution makes it easier for property owners and governments to install and run EV chargers that support dynamic advertising in locations that key audiences frequent,” said Chadi Borghol, Broadsign Director of Sales.
The display is available for both ChargeCast and ChargEView charging stations, which are the result of collaborations with North American kiosk enclosure manufacturers LSI and Melitron, and charge point operators EV Range and SWTCH. The dual-display ChargeCast model is specified for the US market. ChargEView features a US and Canadian DOOH platform.
As EV adoption grows, charging infrastructure must evolve to meet varying consumer demands for charging frequency and speed. As a result, a variety of on-board and off-board charging options either exist today or are in development.
In this webinar, we will dive into the details of several different charging topologies while focusing on the various roles’ capacitors must fulfil in these high-power electronics to ensure reliable and safe vehicle charging. We will also discuss how various capacitor roles change as charger voltages move from 120V to 240V to 480V and how Knowles Precision Devices is well suited to provide the high-reliability AEC-Q200 capacitors required for any high-voltage, high-power EV charging application.
This webinar will be hosted by Charged on Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 11am US EDT and
includes a presentation and live Q&A session.
Advanced materials company Anovion Technologies has selected Decatur County in Southwest Georgia as the location of its new manufacturing facility for the production of synthetic graphite anode materials.
The Decatur County facility is expected to produce 40,000 metric tonnes of synthetic graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries per year, according to the company. It will cost $800 million and create more than 400 new jobs.
In 2022, Anovion was awarded a grant totaling $117 million from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to scale production capacity to meet growing demand. It is now commencing a multi-year expansion program of 150,000 metric tonnes of annual capacity for anode-grade synthetic graphite. In addition to the new facility in Georgia, the company is expanding its Anovion Center of Excellence and its hydro-powered, sister manufacturing facility near Niagara Falls, New York.
“Anovion conducted a thorough search to identify a location that addressed our energy, transportation, logistics and human capital needs that would ensure we have the ecosystem in place to produce synthetic graphite anode material,” said Eric Stopka, CEO of Anovion.
Labelmaster, a provider of labels, packaging and technology for carrying dangerous goods (DGs) and hazardous materials, and plastic casing company Endural have announced a partnership to offer the automobile industry reusable plastic packaging for lithium batteries and other DGs.
The partnership combines Labelmaster’s large-format lithium battery packaging and shipping expertise with Endural’s durable plastic casing to offer sustainable and cost-effective packaging to the automotive aftermarket industry. The collaboration enables Labelmaster to offer plastic packaging in addition to its wood and metal casing options for shipping lithium batteries and cellular module assemblies that are damaged, faulty or recalled, and gives Endural clients access to UN-compliant plastic cases and DG solutions.
“The growing EV market has brought with it a greater volume of lithium batteries moving through the supply chain,” said Jeff Pyle, Endural’s President and CEO. “Labelmaster’s understanding of lithium battery transport, full suite of DG labeling, technology and training solutions enables Endural to provide a more complete, compliant packaging solution to our customers.”
Los Angeles-based Zeeba is a fleet management company that provides a range of vehicles from vans to box trucks to pickups.
The company plans to add Ford EVs and Ford Pro charging solutions to its offerings. The company will deploy nearly 250 Ford EVs including Mach-E SUVs, E-Transit vans and F-150 Lightning pickup trucks. Zeeba will also install Ford Pro Level 2 charging stations at various locations in Southern California.
Electric vehicles will provide a multitude of benefits to Zeeba’s last-mile service providers, the company says. Zeeba expects EVs to deliver significant operating savings compared to gasoline and diesel alternatives.
“Our goal is to transition 50 percent of our fleet to electric vehicles by 2024. Ford Pro’s vehicles, charging solutions and software will help us reach our goal,” said Zeeba CEO Kayvon Marashi. “The charging component to fleet electrification is critical and we’re thrilled to work with Ford Pro to implement the charging infrastructure needed to meet our customers’ electric needs.”
“We look forward to working with Zeeba to help them meet their fleet electrification goals,” said Philip Podgorny, Ford Pro, General Manager, Commercial and Government Sales. “Zeeba’s foresight to implement charging infrastructure and software will help them stay ahead of the curve to meet their customers’ long-term needs.”
After months of encouraging test findings, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) battery researchers are suggesting that the solid-state battery industry focuses on isostatic pressing to commercialize next-generation batteries.
Isostatic pressing employs fluids and gasses like water, oil, or argon within a machine to exert consistent pressure throughout a battery component, generating a homogeneous material. This approach could speed up battery production and improve energy flow with the support of a pressing equipment manufacturer, ORNL researchers said in an ACS Energy Letters review paper.
Isostatic pressing creates thin layers of solid, homogenous electrolyte with strong contact for smooth ion transport. The approach works with different battery compositions, temperatures and pressures. Isostatic pressing of batteries was formerly done only at high or room temperature, but now low temperatures also give successful results. Isostatic pressing may also allow manufacturers to produce the three battery layers as a thick system rather than separately.
“Effectively addressing this challenge would leapfrog present-day battery technology into the next decades by enabling energy-dense solid-state batteries to meet the burgeoning demands of portable electronics, grid storage, electric vehicles and even [aviation] applications,” the research team stated.
The EV battery market is rapidly growing with an increasing number of validation labs and gigafactories being built worldwide. Engineers need to have the appropriate hardware and software tools to efficiently test batteries, validate performance and scale testing.Today, data has the power to transform the way companies do business and bring products to market faster.
In this session, we’ll explore the key components of a typical battery lab including the physical test environment, battery cycler capabilities, required interfaces, and safety considerations. Learn how a software-connected approach provides the flexibility and openness to evolve with changing requirements.
Key Takeaways:
Explore tradeoffs that affect lab efficiency, performance, and safety
Understand key building blocks to implement an efficient battery validation lab
Discover how flexible and open solutions ensure future-proofing
Learn how NI is empowering battery manufacturers and OEMs to unlock the full potential of their battery technologies through optimized workflows
This webinar will be hosted by Charged on Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 1pm US EDT and
includes a presentation and live Q&A session.
Herein, we discuss the goals of BMS verification and explain how simulation with hardware-in-the-loop provides a wealth of data, saves time and is safer than working with actual live cells. We also explain how a BMS HIL test system can be created using PXI simulation modules from Pickering Interfaces.
Battery Management Systems (BMS)
Electric vehicle (EV) battery packs – which can contain from a few dozen to more than 1,000 cells – must be controlled for optimum performance in terms of releasing and accepting power. The packs must also be monitored to report SoC and SoH (state-of-charge and -health, respectively) to the systems employing them. Also, safety measures/features must be present to isolate the packs (or modules/banks of cells) in case of a fault. These roles are all performed by the BMS.
Safety
Safety is a vital consideration wherever battery packs are used. In automotive applications, the packs and all vehicle/platform components that electrically connect to them (including the BMS) are considered hazardous items and must comply with ISO 26262.
BMS Design & Verification
Most companies adopt a TDD (test-driven development) strategy when designing a BMS. This enables them to not only optimize the battery pack’s size (both physical and energy capacity), but also verify the functionality of the BMS throughout the product development lifecycle.
Typical top-level functional requirements for a BMS include:
Voltages must be monitored at the battery pack’s inputs and outputs, and at the individual cell level.
Current flow into and from the pack must be monitored.
SoC and SoH should be monitored and made available to systems that draw power from the pack and which charge it.
Thermal management – for example, lithium-ion cells perform best between 10 and 45oC, so the BMS must control the heating or cooling of the pack accordingly.
The BMS must protect against in-use conditions, such as over-charging and fault conditions (like an individual cell failing or wires breaking). It must also protect against human errors, such as getting the polarity wrong during a maintenance or repair task.
Verifying through test that the above requirements and others have been met is more than just a development task, however. Every production unit must be functionally verified as part of its quality assurance.
Simulation with Hardware-in-the-Loop
BMS development with HIL (hardware-in-the-loop) is essential. However, the use of an actual battery pack presents challenges, including:
Performing over-voltage checks is dangerous – with the risk of fire or explosion.
It’s not easy to change the voltages of individual cells, meaning it’s difficult to verify that the BMS’s cell balancing function works.
Where the monitoring of individual cell voltages is concerned, it’s only possible to check what the BMS thinks it is seeing. But what are the real cell voltages?
How can the BMS’s temperature monitoring function be checked without subjecting the pack to dangerous temperature extremes?
There is also the issue of test repeatability and documenting test conditions and results. Test set-up and the reporting of results are both open to human error. This means the accuracy (and by extension, validity) of the BMS verification data could be called into question.
The solution to these issues is simulation. It removes the need to work with live cells, making it safer. The voltages supplied to the BMS in lieu of individual cells can be monitored, so there are values against which the BMS’s observations can be compared.
Simulation is also highly repeatable, as fault conditions, such as broken wires and overheating cells, are far easier to simulate than they are to replicate with live cells. The recording of test conditions (stimuli applied) and results are straightforward.
High Voltage Switching
Pickering Interfaces’ PXI high voltage switching modules support hot switching of 0.25A at up to 7.5kV (DC and AC peak) and cold switching up to 9kV (DC and AC peak). Also, 5A can be hot switched at up to 1kV.
Battery Cell Simulation
Pickering’s PXI/PXIe multi-channel battery simulator module (Figure 1) was created with BMS design and verification in mind. The module comprises power supply channels (two, four or six per slot) capable of supplying up to 7V and 300mA isolated from one another and from ground. The power supplies on the module can therefore be used to emulate a stack of battery cells which, as mentioned, the BMS must be proven to monitor on an individual cell basis. Also, each channel can sink up to 300mA to emulate a battery under charge. Each channel provides independent power and sense connections, allowing the simulator to sense a remote load and correct for wiring losses.
Figure 1
RTD & Thermocouple Simulation
RTD (resistance temperature detector) simulators can emulate the behavior of positive or negative temperature coefficient thermistors, for example, the PT100 resistance temperature sensor (with a resistance of 100Ω at 0oC), which is commonly employed in battery packs.
Pickering has PXI simulator modules (with 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 channels) that can simulate the resistance range 40 to 900Ω, which equates to a temperature of -150 to 850oC, to a resolution of less than 10mΩ.
Thermocouples are also employed in battery packs, particularly during product development, because of their high accuracy. These too can be simulated during the development and verification of the BMS ahead of its connection to (or integration within) an actual battery pack.
Pickering has a range of PXI millivolt thermocouple simulator modules that provide 8, 16, 24 or 32 channels of highly accurate low-voltage sources. Each channel can be operated over three voltage ranges to simulate the three most common thermocouple types in use.
Fault Insertion
Pickering’s range of PXI fault insertion units (FIUs) – also known as fault injection switches – is designed specifically for safety-critical applications where the behavior of a control system, such as a BMS, needs to be fully evaluated.
For example, the 40-592 FIBO (fault insertion break-out) is a large-scale, high-density switching matrix. It is one of a range of modules designed for applications requiring the simulation of various faults in complex designs that feature a high number of signals/connections – a battery pack being a prime example. Typical faults that can be simulated are open circuits and short circuits to either another signal/component or to ground (see Figure 2).
Battery Cell Simulator – simulates each cell’s voltage and current output and has individual current sinks to emulate cell charging.
Fault Insertion Switching – simulates short- and open-circuits on each battery cell output, as well as wiring faults between cells and the BMS. Polarity reversal can also be tested (to verify that the BMS would recognize a manufacturing defect, such as an inverted cell in the pack).
Charge Emulation – programmable current source.
COMMS – the ability to send commands to and receive data from the BMS (in automotive applications, typically using CAN bus).
Together, this test system can be used in a variety of permutations to replicate all the standard operating conditions the BMS and battery combination are designed to cope with, and to verify that the BMS performs all its functions, including cell balancing, voltage and current monitoring, cell balancing, temperature monitoring, reporting faults and taking appropriate measures.
Summary
Simulation is the safest way to verify that a BMS’s features perform as intended – because it doesn’t involve creating over-voltage or short-circuit conditions with live cells. It is also easy to replicate open circuits and temperature extremes.
A comprehensive HIL test environment can be created using COTS PXI-based simulators, emulators and fault insertion switches, where the popular and industry-standard PXI platform provides modularity, flexibility, and scalability.
Importantly, for traceability and certification purposes, simulation provides more meaningful data that is easy to capture and record.
Tesla stands out as an exception to the generally parlous state of public charging. Supercharger users report few problems compared to users of other networks—and that’s why other automakers are rushing to make their EVs compatible with the “gold standard.” However, it’s not at all clear whether the Superchargers’ superior reliability is due to technical differences between Tesla’s tech and CCS, or whether it has more to do with vertical integration—unlike other charging networks, Tesla manufactures both chargers and vehicles, and operates the network.
Now Tesla has released a rare look at the system it uses to monitor its Superchargers. Electrek’s Fred Lambert tells us that years ago, Tesla offered Supercharger monitoring systems on screens at a few selected stations. These revealed the usage and output of the entire global Supercharger network—fascinating stuff for EV infrastructure geeks.
In a recent video, Tesla offered a brief (and rare) glimpse of the back end of this monitoring system. In the video, there were a few frames that revealed the monitoring system, and you could see the status of all Supercharger stations in North America.
We’ve asked many execs in the charging industry for advice on how to improve charger reliability, and several told us that detailed real-time data is essential. This sneak peek shows us that Tesla has access to granular details about how its current Supercharger stations are performing. At the time the image in the video was taken, it appears that about two dozen stations had temporary outages or closures, while two out of the nearly 2,000 stations in North America were offline (a pretty darn good uptime ratio in this business).
We don’t know exactly how Tesla uses this data—does the company have an in-house team that rushes out to fix problems that can’t be addressed online?—but we’re sure that the system helps the company keep its vast network running smoothly, and also helps it with planning, identifying high-usage areas for future expansion.
As the Supercharger network opens up to drivers of other brands’ EVs, Tesla’s monitoring system will become more important than ever. Other automakers, and the entire EV industry, will increasingly have a stake in how the system performs. Will Tesla open up at least some subset of its monitoring data to partners?
Henkel Adhesive Technologies, a maker of automotive adhesives, sealants, thermal materials and functional coatings, has extended its portfolio of solutions for EV battery systems with a new injectable thermally conductive adhesive. The new adhesive, Loctite TLB 9300 APSi, provides both structural bonding and thermal conductivity in the battery system. Henkel says the new product has already been adopted by a major EV battery manufacturer.
Designed for applications such as bonding battery cells to modules, or bonding cells directly to cooling systems, Loctite TLB 9300 APSi is a two-component polyurethane thermally conductive adhesive with a high thermal conductivity of 3 W/mK, moderate viscosity, and self-levelling characteristics. In addition to its heat management properties, it’s designed to deliver a combination of good electrical insulation with high bonding performance to a variety of substrates. It’s a solvent-free solution that cures at room temperature without the need for additional energy consumption.
“Loctite TLB 9300 APSi is a testament to Henkel’s continued efforts to innovate new e-mobility solutions tailored to solve today’s battery manufacturing challenges and enable the next-generation designs of tomorrow,” said Holger Schuh, Global Senior Manager Thermal Technologies at Henkel. “Its immediate adoption by a major battery manufacturer demonstrates our close partnership with key players in the e-mobility industry.”
“Thermal management in EV batteries is still one of the biggest challenges for electrified mobility,” says Stephan Hoefer, Global Market Strategy Head for E-Mobility at Henkel. “New designs targeting higher energy densities in battery packs bring the requirement for multifunctional thermally conductive adhesives instead of classical thermal gap fillers. Leveraging our strong innovation capabilities at Henkel, we have started to launch a family of materials varying in thermal conductivity, bonding strength, elasticity, and application methods to address those new requirements.”
Fleet charging solution provider TeraWatt Infrastructure has signed up Nevada taxi service Desert Cab as a customer. TeraWatt will provide Desert Cab with software, operations and maintenance services, including EV education and training for Desert Cab’s drivers. The company will use data acquired from TeraWatt’s platform to improve the efficiency of its charging systems to support its growing EV fleet.
Desert Cab and its sister company Virgin Valley operate approximately 400 taxi cabs in the Las Vegas area. Desert Cab’s fleet is nearly 10% electrified, and the company hopes to electrify 50% its entire fleet over the next five years. In 2021, the company added 25 Level 2 chargers and two dual-port DC fast chargers at its facilities, and is in the process of adding lots more.
“Nevada’s recent sustainability mandates and corresponding investments in new technology have strengthened efforts for fleets of all sizes to begin electrifying,” said George Balaban, Owner of Desert Cab. “Partnering with TeraWatt enables us to overcome the challenges associated with fleet electrification, and will provide our drivers with the necessary support and resources to embrace electric vehicles.”
“By providing Desert Cab with a tailored set of electrification tools and comprehensive training, we remove the complexities of undergoing a daunting electrification transition,” said Peter Cohen, Director of Business Development at TeraWatt. “Our mission is to provide reliable charging solutions that empower fleets to seamlessly advance their sustainability efforts.”
The move from traditional engine vehicles to Electric Vehicles is driving a need for engineered equipment and infrastructure to support the transformation. The arrival of advanced technologies and the exponential growth predicted for electric vehicle charging is inviting industrial designers to consider a new mix of design challenges.
As more EV Charging Stations are deployed, there is a need for well-designed and secure enclosures to protect the equipment. These enclosures must be effectively and seamlessly integrated into existing urban environments, and they must be regularly accessed by both technical personnel and the general public. That access needs to be highly secure and well managed, yet at the same time easy to use and cleanly integrated into the built environment.
There are a range of best practices that can be followed for adding engineered access hardware to EV Charging infrastructure, including the role that usability, security and longevity of this equipment plays in the design process. Selecting the right hardware can enhance this equipment, as well as the competitive value of enclosure technologies.
Nevertheless, industrial designers need to be equally aware of ways to incorporate access systems cleanly into enclosures so that they seamlessly merge into our built cityscapes, through the use of hidden hinges and elegantly designed latches that complement industrial design.
EV Chargers: new fixtures for the smart city
EV charging stations will eventually become as ubiquitous as the gasoline station, with much of the same requirement: the ability for the EV driver to access the charger, connect it to their vehicle and “pay at the pump”. As well as appearing next to the traditional gas pump at gas stations, EV charging stations will find their way into parking lots, convenience stores and streetscapes.
That creates a security risk: EV charging stations contain expensive electrical equipment and have direct links to communications networks, making them targets for thieves and hackers. Since they are in unsupervised locations, EV charging station designers must carefully consider incorporating the same level of secure access hardware, including top-level electronic access solutions with audit trail capabilities, to provide the same level of protection that 5G enclosures require.
There is a clear trend toward designing EV charging stations to incorporate branding elements and distinctive visual designs so that EV vehicle operators can easily spot them. Electronic access solutions providers can help support this industrial design challenge with concealed locking mechanisms and hardware that help achieve marketing design goals.
Help selecting the right access hardware
The smart city is not going to be built out in an empty field — in almost all cases the technology to make a city “smarter” will need to be retrofitted into our existing cityscapes. This is one of the most critical challenges design engineers face when creating enclosure designs and selecting access hardware to secure them.
A key source of support and creative solutions for these challenges is a proven access hardware supplier with extensive experience addressing both functional and aesthetic challenges. They can often draw on existing portfolios and design concepts to help solve these critical engineering and design challenges.
Choosing a proven supplier can be the “smart” move to ensuring that the technology infrastructure enabling the benefits of the smart city is well protected, easily accessed and intelligently woven into existing urban environments.
Versinetic, a UK smart charging consultancy, has developed a software stack solution that allows EV charging manufacturers to produce ISO 15118-compliant charging infrastructure.
Versinetic licenses its new ISO 15118 software stack as part of its modular EV charging solutions. The ISO 15118 protocol defines vehicle-charging station communication. Versinetic’s MantaRay control board, which supports AC and DC chargers, runs the software. Versinetic’s Charging Blox are product and service modules that can be customized to build a comprehensive EV charging station solution.
Supply options—license, buy direct or construct under license (for huge numbers), or non-recurring engineering.
“Accommodating ISO 15118 in our products is another part of Versinetic’s roadmap to play an integral part in the electrification of our roads,” said Dunstan Power, MD at Versinetic. “We strive to bring expertise and flexibility with our modular EV charging products that reduce time to market for EV charging providers and enable them to ensure their EV chargers are future-proofed.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom is just one of many who have called bidirectional charging a “game-changing” technology. Going bi enables vehicle-to-grid applications, which not only provide nifty features to EV drivers, but are widely seen as an essential tool for smoothly integrating large numbers of EVs into the electrical grid.
The bill was making its way through California’s legislative process before Ford and GM shook up the EV infrastructure world by announcing that they would support Tesla’s NACS charging system. As the technical implications of this development begin to sink in, some have pointed out that Tesla doesn’t support bidirectional charging. In fact, the company’s CEO has been dismissive of all things bi. At a presentation in March, Senior VP Drew Baglino said that Tesla had “found ways to bring bidirectionality while actually reducing the cost of power electronics in the vehicle,” and added that the automaker could add bidirectional charging to its vehicles within the next two years. The company’s mercurial CEO stepped in to say that he didn’t think very many people would want to use the feature.
Musk and Baglino discuss bidirectional charging around 3:14:34.
Charged has been covering bidirectional charging pioneer Nuvve for several years. We recently spoke with CEO Gregory Poilasne, shortly after he testified before the Energy Committee and the Transportation Committee of the California Senate. He told us that the authors of the bill (SB 233) wisely left most of the technical details open—the mandate leaves both automakers and charger manufacturers free to implement V2X applications in whatever way they think best.
“The bill doesn’t say how the bidirectional capability needs to be integrated,” Poilasne told Charged. “You could do V2G through the DC port of the vehicle—this is what we are doing with school buses here in California. That’s one way. This implementation is actually pretty simple. It’s purely a software upgrade, and standardization is already in place. The ISO 15118-20 standard enables bidirectional communication between the charging station and the vehicle, and with OCPP 2.0.1, permission is granted to go through the DC port.
“It’s also possible to do V2G through an AC port. In that case, you need to have an onboard bidirectional charger. That means the charger inside the vehicle can convert AC to DC to power the battery and take DC from the battery and convert it back to AC for export to the grid. Your charging station is a lot simpler in this case—it’s basically just replacing diodes with transistors to make it bidirectional from an AC perspective.
“V2G through an AC port solution requires a little bit more work on the vehicle side, whereas V2G through the DC port really requires no work on the vehicle if you have ISO 15118-20 implemented.”
Thus, from a technical standpoint, it should be fairly easy for Tesla to implement bidirectional charging. But the company’s obvious aversion to the concept, along with the normal Tesla-time factor probably means it won’t happen any time soon. Unless it’s mandated.
“One reason that they may have been slow to embrace it is their Powerwall home storage business. Bidirectional charging capabilities would make Powerwall storage devices redundant except in a limited number of scenarios such as remote locations,” Gregory Poilasne recently told Charged.
“California’s Senate Bill 233 would require all new 2030 model EVs sold in the state to have bidirectional charging capability,” Poilasne continues. “Should it become law, which looks very close to happening, it would have a greater impact on bidirectional charging than anything Tesla, GM or Ford choose to do. The same vehicles sold in California would be sold in other states, and, as with the catalytic converter, a mandate in California would drive national adoption.
“What Nuvve would like to see happen is for Tesla vehicles to have open bidirectional capabilities so we can also aggregate them with other vehicles such as Nissan LEAFs either for fleet applications or consumer applications.”
Toyota has a credibility problem when it comes to e-mobility. The giant automaker’s corporate right hand pursues a number of EV initiatives around the world, while its left hand continues to spread misinformation and lobby against pro-EV policies.
Many are hopeful that the recent changes in the company’s executive suite portend a new, more electric strategy. Toyota recently held a technical briefing session, dubbed the Toyota Technical Workshop, which delivered several bits of encouraging news, but didn’t announce anything like the electrification initiatives that are underway at Ford, GM and the Volkswagen Group.
“In the area of electrification, we will continue to pursue a multi-pathway approach, including the introduction of optimal powertrains for each region,” Toyota reiterated. This sounds like the same old cynical strategy that most legacy automakers are pursuing—as polluting ICE vehicles are phased out in China and Europe, they hope to sell more in developing countries, while hyping hybrids as a cheap sop for North American buyers.
In May, Toyota launched BEV Factory, which is not actually a manufacturing facility, but rather “an organization dedicated to battery EVs.” The name may not quite work in English, but this is a positive development. As several legacy automakers have found, it’s a good idea to separate EV production and marketing from the dead weight of corporate structures built around ICE production.
“We will roll out next-generation BEVs globally and as a full lineup to be launched in 2026,” says Toyota. “By 2030, 1.7 million units out of 3.5 million overall will be provided by BEV Factory.”
Toyota says it plans to develop a vehicle with a range of 1,000 km. This announcement quickly generated the desired headlines in the mainstream press, but EV cognoscenti mostly responded with a ho-hum (or a “La-de-frickin-da!” for Chris Farley fans). What the market really craves is lower prices, not more range that most drivers will never need. We’re more intrigued by the new Arene OS (an integrated vehicle OS à la Tesla?) and “full OTA” (over-the-air updates, another long-overdue innovation).
More shades of Tesla: “On the manufacturing axis, the car body will be constructed from three main components in a new modular structure,” says Toyota. “Adopting giga casting will allow significant component integration, which contributes to the reduction of vehicle development costs and factory investment. In addition, self-propelling production technology will reduce the processes and plant investment by half.”
More good news: Toyota is accelerating its development of solid-state batteries. “The next-generation battery EVs will adopt new batteries, through which we are determined to become a world leader in battery EV energy consumption.” The automaker says it has made a technological breakthrough that improves the durability of its all-solid-state batteries, and is considering introducing them to hybrids as well as to BEVs.
Does it sound like Toyota has finally seen the electric light? Not so fast. Alongside the new BEV Factory, there will also be a Hydrogen Factory. Toyota thinks the global fuel cell market is going to be worth some 5 trillion yen (about $36 billion) in 2030. It is promoting external sales of fuel cells using the Mirai’s hydrogen units, and says it has received “offers for external sales of 100,000 units by 2030,” most of them for use in commercial vehicles.
While plenty of journalists (and the stock market) hailed the latest announcements as the dawn of a new day, those who’ve done the math tend to be more skeptical. Toyota’s still talking about 1.7 million EVs a year by 2030. That’s less than 20% of its total production in 2022, and it’s less than Tesla’s current EV production. Meanwhile, The Volkswagen Group aims to be producing 8 million EVs in 2030 (80% of total production) and Ford Motor is shooting for 2 million by 2026.
Prolific EV writer James Carter called the establishment of the new BEV Factory “at best only a cautious step, and still far behind other OEMs.” Carter points out that, if Toyota sticks with its timid production targets, it’s going to have a little problem in some of its biggest markets. Assuming that the current political support for EVs holds up, ICE vehicles are going to be unsaleable in Europe, Canada and California by 2035, and in the UK by 2032.
Korea-headquartered EV charger maker SK Signet has opened its first US EV charger manufacturing facility in Plano, Texas.
The company projects the plant’s production capacity of its range of chargers, from stand-alones to power cabinets supporting multiple dispensers, at more than 10,000 units per year. The facility will also host R&D, manufacture EV charger power modules, conduct charger testing with automakers, and develop EV charging software and firmware.
SK Signet’s fastest V2 charger, which is slated to begin production at the Texas facility later this year, provides a maximum output of 400 kW.
“The company’s new state-of-the-art facility will not only create new manufacturing jobs for Texans, but will advance critical EV infrastructure for our state and the nation,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who recently signed a $200-per-year tax on EVs into law.
The latest automaker to go bi is Renault, which has announced that the upcoming R5 will be its first car to come with a bidirectional on-board charger. Mobilize, the Renault Group’s e-mobility brand, will also introduce the Mobilize Powerbox, a bidirectional charging station with power levels ranging from 7 kW to 22 kW; and the Mobilize V2G service, which allows drivers to put charging on hold during peak hours, to release energy to their homes when electricity is expensive, and to send it to the grid when demand is high.
“The architecture integrates natively reversible electrotechnical components and electrical-current management software, which will provide ongoing access to the Mobilize V2G service while preserving battery capacity,” says Renault.
“Thanks to Mobilize V2G, cars become an energy reserve,” says Corinne Frasson, Director of Energy Services at Mobilize. “All drivers have to do is regularly connect their vehicle to the Powerbox to optimize their electricity bill and cut carbon from their mobility. On average, the cost of charging is cut by half.”
The Mobilize V2G service includes an electricity contract provided by technology partner The Mobility House, which guarantees carbon-neutral electricity and serves to monetize energy sent back to the grid. The Mobility House’s platform aggregates the battery storage of participating vehicles and trades the capacity on the wholesale energy markets.
Each EV driver can decide how much battery capacity they want to provide via the app. They plug in their vehicle, specify their planned departure time and desired battery charge level, and the rest is taken care of automatically by The Mobility House’s technology.
“We are already using this technology to facilitate smart charging programs in the US in bidirectional projects from Oakland, California to New York City,” said The Mobility House CEO Robert Hienz.
Increasing demand for high power and high-capacity cells are major growth factors for the Li-Ion cylindrical battery market. As such, the demand for battery packs with higher energy output is also growing in sectors such as electric vehicles, industrial power tools, energy storage, consumer electronics, aerospace, defense, and others.
These packs have a need for efficient, dependable, and cost-effective ways to electrically connect the cells to maximize performance, optimize safety, and add value to the end application for the customer. In a typical battery pack module, the cells are organized in an array and then welded together in series and parallel to achieve the desired pack output. The selection of the metal used for this “connection” is not only critical for the overall performance and safety of the battery pack, but also for the efficient manufacturability of the pack.
This simple part of a battery pack assembly process is often overlooked. Manufacturers do not realize how they can save production costs and build higher performance into their packs, by making an informed decision on the best material to use. Engineered Materials Solutions designed such a material using our innovative cladding technology that is highly conductive to provide greater thermal and electrical performance while being easily weldable. For detailed information on this novel connector plate material for Li-Ion battery pack assemblies, please click the button below to access the free white paper.
Rivian has followed Ford and GM in hooking up with EV charging trendsetter Tesla. Rivian drivers will have access to Tesla’s Supercharger network across the US and Canada.
The company will also continue to expand its own Rivian Adventure Network, which will comprise some 3,500 chargers at 600 sites along routes and highways popular with the outdoorsy set.
Rivian says an adapter will be available to enable Rivian’s R1T and R1S to charge on the Supercharger network as early as spring 2024. Rivian will incorporate Tesla’s NACS charge ports as standard in future R1 vehicles starting in 2025, as well as in its upcoming R2 platform.
“The adoption of the North American Charging Standard will enable our existing and future customers to leverage Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network while we continue to build out our Rivian Adventure Network,” said RJ Scaringe, founder and CEO of Rivian. “We look forward to continuing to find new ways to accelerate EV adoption.”
