GM uses Analog Device’ wireless battery system for EVs
General Motors (GM) is to use Analog Devices’ wireless battery management system (wBMS), which is believed to be the first in the industry available for production electric vehicles (EVs). It will be used by GM in its production vehicles powered by Ultium batteries.
The wBMS eliminates the traditional wired harness, saving up to 90 per cent of the wiring and up to 15 per cent of the volume in the battery pack, reports Analog Devices. It also improves design flexibility and manufacturability, without compromising range and accuracy over the life of the battery, says the company.
The wBMS includes all ICs, hardware and software for power, battery management, RF communication and system functions in a single system-level product that supports ASIL-D safety and module-level security. It is based in Analog Devices’ battery management system (BMS) battery cell measurement technology. It delivers high accuracy for the lifetime of the vehicle for maximum energy use per cell to optimise vehicle range. It also supports safe and sustainable zero-cobalt battery chemistries, such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
There are many advantages to using the wBMS, including scalability for the growing EV market and manufacturing efficiency.
“The transition of battery packs from wired to wireless connectivity enables automotive manufacturers to scale their electric vehicle platforms across multiple vehicle models to meet growing consumer demand,” said Patrick Morgan, vice president, Automotive at Analog Devices (ADI). “Our wBMS solution not only simplifies manufacturing, but also allows new systems to be built on wireless data, accelerating the entire industry towards a sustainable future,” he added.
Additional system features enable batteries to measure and report their own performance, increasing early failure detection, and enabling optimised battery pack assembly. The data can be monitored remotely throughout the battery lifecycle – from assembly to warehouse and transport through installation, maintenance and into a second-life phase.
ADI and General Motors recently announced a collaboration, bringing the wBMS technology to General Motors’ Ultium battery platform.
“We are pleased to collaborate with ADI to take the wBMS technology to production as part of our ground-breaking Ultium battery platform,” said Kent Helfrich, executive director, Global Electrification and Battery Systems at General Motors.
The ADI technology helps ensure scalability of the Ultium platform across General Motor’s future line up, which will encompass different brands and vehicle segments, from work trucks to performance vehicles.
“ADI’s wBMS technology enables the more widespread electrification of our fleet, and we look forward to a continued collaboration with ADI to deliver innovation in safety, quality, and performance for the future,” continued Helfrich.
