With the rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market, we are witnessing a revolution in automotive technology-cars that have used fossil fuels for a century are gradually being transformed into clean and efficient electric vehicles (EV). According to forecasts, in the next 10 years, the EV market is expected to grow 10 times. It is estimated that by 2025, up to 10% of vehicles sold will be powered by batteries, although the current proportion is less than 2% (see Note 1). In order to power millions of electric vehicles, the need to monitor, manage and maintain high-performance batteries will also increase.

1. About the battery management system (BMS)

BMS can closely monitor, control and distribute the reliable charging and discharging of the entire battery system during its service life. It is important to know that it is important to accurately monitor the current and voltage distribution, because overcharging of the battery may cause a fire or explosion, while undercharging (or full discharge) can cause the battery to fail. The quality of the battery management system directly affects the mileage that an EV can travel per charge. A high-quality battery management system can maximize the overall service life of the battery, thereby reducing the cost of ownership. 

2. Battery management system (BMS) and service life

We will focus on the battery of electric vehicles. 40% of the price of electric vehicles depends on the battery. Therefore, performance and battery life have become important factors for the success of the EV brand. In the battery market, its cost is one of the considerations, but also needs to consider the need for longer cruising range, shorter charging time and higher functional safety. In order to meet these stringent battery management system requirements, the highest standards must be adhered to and deviations must be minimized.

3. Strict requirements for battery management system (BMS)

Let's imagine this scenario again: In order to provide more than 100 kilowatts of electricity at the moment the driver steps on the pedal, the battery system must operate efficiently at hundreds of volts. However, lithium batteries can only provide a few volts. In order to obtain sufficient power, a large number of batteries need to be connected in series to form a very long battery stack. Usually electric vehicles may use 100 individual batteries, providing 350 volts at the top of the battery stack. But this brings some challenges. In a long battery stack, if one battery fails, it is actually equivalent to all batteries have failed. Therefore, you need to monitor and manage all batteries, charge and discharge them, and do this every day of the vehicle's life cycle. Lithium batteries cannot work under extreme charge and discharge conditions, and must be kept within a very specific range, such as 15% to 85%, otherwise the battery performance will decrease.

4. the importance of precision battery formation and testing 

As mentioned above, the high cost of electric vehicle batteries keeps the price of electric vehicles high. In fact, up to 40% of the total cost of electric vehicles is battery costs. In addition, the final stages of battery production (formation and testing) are particularly challenging, accounting for as much as 20% of battery costs.