Volvo invests in Breathe Battery and uses its technology to charge electric cars 30% faster – on March 12, 2024 at 01:01 am

Volvo Cars has invested in British startup Breathe Battery Technologies and will use its battery software to reduce the charging time of next-generation electric vehicles by 30%, the two companies said Tuesday.

The automaker did not disclose the size of the investment by the Volvo Car Technology Fund, the venture capital arm of the Swedish company.

Breathe technology is supposed to be available in new Volvo electric cars within the next two or three years.

“This is really about reducing pain points for customers,” Anne-Sophie Ekberg, CEO of the Volvo Car Technology Fund, told Reuters.

Ekberg said investing in Breathe ensures that “we get the priorities and ideas and also work well together… so we can be leaders.”

The main challenge facing automakers is that while fast chargers can deliver power to electric cars more quickly, the software in these cars often limits current draw to protect the battery from overheating or damage.

Breathe CEO Ian Campbell said the company's algorithm-based charging software provides a better overview of the health of individual cells within a battery pack, allowing an electric vehicle to be charged to full capacity without compromising safety and without changing battery chemistry. .

“This is just the tip of the iceberg to reveal the big changes that occur in batteries as they become more software-defined,” Campbell said.

Faster charging times are seen as key to convincing more customers to switch to electric cars.

Another Breathe product, already available for 27 OPPO smartphone models, helps batteries last longer and operate at peak performance for longer.

Campbell said Breathe is working on making this product available for electric vehicle batteries as well, as extending battery life and performance is key for automakers.

Campbell said the startup is working with a number of “premium brands like Volvo,” declining to name names. (Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Thomas Janowski)