Volvo Cars has partnered with battery performance company Breathe Battery Technologies (Breathe), gaining access to the latest version of its patented, algorithm-enabled charging software for use on its new-generation fully electric cars.
The collaboration is the result of a sourcing agreement for Breathe Charge and represents the latest investment by the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, the auto maker’s corporate venture capital arm.
Volvo says that integrating Breathe’s software into its battery management platform will optimize and improve the performance of Breathe’s charging technology, and provide Volvo customers with faster charging. Volvo will implement the technology into its new generation of fully electric cars.
Unlike traditional stepped charging, Breathe’s software uses adaptive charging to control the battery in real time, which provides shorter charging times. Using algorithms, the software manages the charging process in line with the battery’s health to deliver an optimal driver experience while avoiding the risk of lithium plating. The software is also compatible with the hardware used in Volvo’s electric cars, meaning that scaling will be fairly easy.
“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,” said Ann-Sofie Ekberg, CEO of the Volvo Cars Tech Fund.
Dr Ian Campbell, CEO of Breathe, said, “Deploying our technology at scale on Volvo’s next-generation EV platform opens doors to innovative car designs and performance improvements. We share a profound passion for electric mobility, and convenient, fast charging is one of the cornerstone enablers for the future we strive toward.”
