FEV Battery for Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Goes Into Series Production

FEV development competence consists of batteries, controls, as well as complete drive systems

A plug-in hybrid concept from the Aachen-based development service provider FEV, consisting of battery and drive concept, now goes into series production (Source: FEV GmbH).

Modular and ready for series production: FEV's battery management system allows efficient control of different battery systems (Source: FEV GmbH).

FEV has demonstrated competence in the development of alternative drive concepts for almost twenty years. Most recently, yet another plug-in hybrid vehicle has gone into series production with technology provided by the Aachen-based developer. In addition to using an innovative transmission concept which is based on a FEV patent, FEV also developed the battery technology of the plug-in hybrid vehicle to series production readiness. This cost-effective and reliable battery pack offers a capacity of 10 kWh and yields a pure- electric range of about 50 kilometres (30 miles). FEV was responsible as a turn-key partner for the development of the battery hardware and software, throughout the development of the overall concept, as well as for testing and validation. "We intentionally combined FEV's own developments with existing technologies of renowned tier 1 suppliers," explains Professor Stefan Pischinger, President and CEO of the FEV Group. "Thanks to decades of experience and a comprehensive benchmark database we were able to develop a needs-based technology pack with excellent series production readiness."

Experienced development partner
FEV has been operating its own electric vehicle fleet since 2010. The experience with this fleet and the comprehensive vehicle and battery measurement data which is continuously sent to an FEV server via mobile communication still represent key elements that are used in today’s development of alternative drives. In addition to about 65 electrified powertrain development projects, FEV has successfully completed about 20 battery projects over the past few years. In these projects, batteries were developed for nearly any kind of drive: whether it be water-cooled high performance plug-in hybrid battery or passively cooled pack for pure electric vehicles. "Our spectrum of competence consists of every phase of development, from the concept work and development of modules and battery packs to the manufacturing and testing of the battery and, eventually, the integration and certification for series production," says Dr. Michael Stapelbroek, Department Manager Hybrid and E-Mobility at FEV.

Mature battery management system
The quality of battery management system algorithms has as much influence on performance as the selection of suitable battery cells and an optimized layout of the overall battery. "The core system for the battery development is our own mature battery management system (BMS), now in its third generation, that together with optimized algorithms allows a very reliable and stable control of the battery," explains Dr. Stapelbroek. Thanks to its use in a variety of projects, the system is highly mature and very flexible with the capability to accommodate any battery concept. The BMS consists of a central control system, a master circuit board, and one decentralized measurement unit for each battery module, the slave circuit board. Furthermore, the BMS itself can comply with the safety standard ASIL-D as specified in ISO26262. The BMS was developed according to all of the current and common automotive standards (e.g., AUTOSAR and CMMI), and is well cost-optimized, particularly with regard to future series production applications.

Test facilities for batteries and complete drives
FEV has several cell and battery test benches worldwide for the testing and validation of developed battery packs as well as experience with series production testing for several well-known manufacturers, allowing FEV to be recognized as an internationally-operating engineering company that can guarantee a high degree of quality and series production readiness in its engineering developments. "Our additional test benches for hybrid powertrains are important tools for not only powertrain development, but also for the evaluation of battery performance in the overall drive system," explains Stapelbroek.

About FEV
The FEV Group with headquarters in Aachen, Germany, is an internationally recognized development services provider for drive and vehicle technologies. The company offers its global transport industry customers a complete range of engineering services, providing support in the design, analysis and prototyping for powertrain and transmission development, as well as vehicle integration, calibration and homologation for advanced internal combustion gasoline-, diesel-, and alternative-fuelled powertrains. FEV's competencies also include design, development and prototyping of innovative vehicle concepts, powertrain electronic control systems and hybrid-electric engine concepts that address future emission and fuel economy standards. The Test Systems division is a global supplier of advanced test cell, instrumentation and test equipment. The FEV Group employs a staff of over 4,000 highly skilled specialists at advanced technical centres on three continents.