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What you will learn:
- How MAHLE will use the charging plug, in addition to the OBD port, to diagnose EV batteries in the future
- How new solution makes vehicle battery condition more transparent and repair requirements predictable
- Solution is in field-testing and is expected to be available by the end of 2022
In the future, MAHLE Aftermarket will use the charging plug in addition to the existing OBD port for battery diagnostics of electric vehicles, the company said in a press release. The service and spare parts division of the Stuttgart-based automotive supplier is collaborating with Volytica Diagnostics, a software developer based in Dresden, Germany. It evaluates the measured data in the cloud and provides valuable information about the state of the electric vehicle battery. The idea, according to the company, is to help project necessary repairs. The new diagnostics solution is expected to be available by the end of 2022. The partners expect a similar solution for battery electric trucks and buses to follow.
“In terms of workshop equipment, we have massively accelerated our innovation rate. Now we are making the battery a fully predictable variable and thus creating future security for independent workshops in the mobility transition,” said Olaf Henning, member of the MAHLE management committee and head of the Aftermarket business unit.
Claudius Jehle, CEO of Volytica, said there has been a "massive lack of transparency" when it comes to battery quality.
“Until now, it has hardly been possible to reliably evaluate battery data and communicate the status quo of their batteries to owners of electric vehicles. This paralyzes the further market ramp-up of e-mobility as well as the decarbonization of the transportation sector. At the same time, such a test must not take long and must be affordable. This is exactly where we come in with our technology,” he said.
Combination of charger and diagnostic tool is used for diagnostics to extend battery life
MAHLE can get initial diagnostics on the condition of the vehicle battery via the vehicle’s charging socket within ten minutes. This measurement is carried out independently of the data provided by the vehicle manufacturer via the OBD diagnostics port.
Afterward, the battery data is comprehensively evaluated and interpreted in the Volytica cloud, and the result is provided to the user. MAHLE describes its investment in EV technology as "future-proofing beyond the combustion engine" and predicts advanced battery diagnostics can give batteries a "second life," extending their life by an average of five years.
"This is an important aspect, as the Group is clearly committed to the Paris Climate Agreement and is striving to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and to use its products to contribute to environmentally compatible mobility," the press release states.
