Electric vehicle (EV) charging times have long been a point of contention for potential adopters. UK startup Breathe Battery Technologies is addressing this issue head-on with an innovative software solution that promises to significantly improve charging performance without requiring hardware modifications, according to Forbes.

The Power of Software in Battery Management

Dr. Ian Campbell, CEO of Breathe Battery Technology, explains their approach: “We find ways to enhance standard battery system performance very significantly for our customers, especially in the automotive and consumer electronics industries. We give them software that significantly increases the capability of the batteries that they’re already buying from their battery suppliers.”

The company’s flagship products, Breathe Charge and Breathe Life, aim to unlock the latent potential in existing battery technologies. While Breathe Life focuses on extending battery lifespan in consumer electronics, Breathe Charge is tailored for the automotive industry, enhancing charging speed and consistency across various scenarios.

Breathe Battery Technologies: Revolutionizing Ev Charging With Software

Volvo’s Vote of Confidence

In a significant move, Volvo invested in Breathe and will be the first automaker to implement its technology in cars.

Campbell highlights the advantages: “Customers like Volvo can adopt what we build very quickly, cost effectively, and without having to make any hardware change to their system.”

The partnership with Volvo promises impressive results.

“Under typical environmental conditions, we can help them and their customers to reduce the charging time by as much as 30%,” Campbell states.

This improvement can be even more substantial in extreme temperatures or as the battery ages.

Dynamic Adaptation vs. Static Specs

Breathe’s software takes a dynamic approach to battery management, contrasting with the current industry standard of using static specifications.

“We enable a battery from one of these great cell manufacturers to arrive with a car manufacturer like Volvo, not only with a PDF beside it with some solid numbers, but with a piece of very intelligent software,” Campbell explains.

This software adapts to the battery’s changing needs throughout its lifecycle, optimizing performance and longevity. It’s part of a broader trend towards software-defined vehicles, with batteries following suit.

Balancing Act: Speed, Density, and Longevity

One of the key benefits of Breathe’s technology is its ability to balance competing priorities in battery design. Campbell notes, “You can optimize for charging speed, energy density, or costs. But the biggest difficulty is creating a balanced increase in all of them simultaneously. We get automakers out of that rock and a hard place.”

EVXL’s Take

The advancements made by Breathe Battery Technologies represent a significant step forward in EV adoption. By addressing one of the primary concerns of potential EV buyers – charging time – through software optimization, this technology could accelerate the transition to electric mobility. As we’ve seen in recent Tesla developments, software plays an increasingly crucial role in enhancing EV performance and user experience. Breathe’s approach aligns with this trend, potentially setting a new standard for battery management across the EV industry.

Photo courtesy of Volvo Cars