Volvo Cars to use advanced software to reduce recharging times

Besides being able to go further on a fully charged battery pack, a shorter recharging time is also what motorists would like to see if they are to switch to electric vehicles. If the time taken to recharge a battery pack to full or even 50% is similar to the time taken refuelling with petrol or diesel, then that will be one more disincentive eliminated. Of course, there will still be the question of charging stations which is another subject.

While the focus is on advancing battery technology to extend range and reduce charging times, there is also another approach and that is with the software that manages charging. This is just as important as it can optimise charging and also maintain the health of the battery pack.

Volvo Cars already has its own in-house-developed battery management platform for its EVs and has now partnered with Breathe Battery Technologies (BBT) which has develop advanced algorithm-enabled charging software said to be able to optimise and improve existing charging technology.

First car company to use advanced software
Volvo Cars will be the first car company to get access to the latest version of BBT’s patented software which will be integrated with the carmaker’s own battery management platform. The software is expected to provide Volvo owners with even faster charging times and an enhanced overall driving and charging experience.

“We will implement the new technology in our new-generation fully electric cars, where we expect it will reduce the time it takes to charge your fully electric Volvo from 10% to 80% charging state by as much as 30%, while maintaining the same energy density and range. Even better: the charging time improvements will last across the full battery life cycle without impacting its health status,” said Ann-Sofie Ekberg, CEO of the Volvo Cars Tech Fund.

“The investment and commercial partnership with Breathe helps us address a familiar pain point for electric car customers and makes our charging performance even more competitive,” she added. “Faster recharging times, in the range where customers typically fast charge, represent a major step in the right direction as we continue to boost electric mobility and make it available to more people.”

Adaptive charging strategy
Unlike traditional stepped charging, which relies on pre-determined rules, BBT’s software uses adaptive charging to dynamically control the battery in real time, resulting in significantly shorter charging times. Using algorithms, the software manages the recharging process in line with the battery’s health to deliver the best driver experience while avoiding the risk of lithium plating, which can harm the battery’s performance and lifespan.

While reducing charging times, the technology achieves this without the need to change battery pack design or mine extra materials, without additional environmental impacts. Also, since it is fully compatible with the hardware used in the latest Volvo EVs, scaling will be easy because vehicle sales are expected to increase significantly in the coming years.

More fully electric Volvo Recharge vehicles being sold in Malaysia