Battery check for more transparency

In order to offer drivers of electric cars a simple way of assessing the state of health (SOH) of the battery over its entire service life, TÜV Rheinland is now offering a "Battery Quick Check" in collaboration with Twaice.

2024/03/15 - The condition of the battery is crucial for the resale value of an electric vehicle. Vehicle owners are therefore interested in knowing how far battery degradation has progressed, while potential buyers want to objectively and independently assess the "State Of Health". The battery in electric vehicles is a wear part that deteriorates over time, both through charging and discharging cycles and through the mere passage time.

The Battery Quick Check requires that the electric vehicle be connected to a diagnostic device and a wallbox. The entire process takes about 90 minutes, with a technician only needing to work directly on the vehicle for about five minutes. The bulk of the test is carried out in the background and does not require direct supervision.

The core of this procedure involves comparing the current state of the battery to an optimal state. Twaice analyzes brand-new batteries to determine the optimal condition. The electric vehicle is compared to this ideal state to determine the SOH. This result is given as a percentage and the remaining energy content in kilowatt-hours is also displayed.

The Battery Quick Check was introduced in late summer 2023. Certified SOH assessments like the Battery Quick Check by TÜV Rheinland in collaboration with Twaice or the alternative from Aviloo offer great potential to prevent conflicts about the condition of batteries in electric vehicles from arising in the first place.

For SVOLT, the topic of battery life is of enormous importance. Lisset Urrutia, Director R&D and Cell Engineering at SVOLT: "For our cobalt-free NMx battery cells, we have developed a novel cathode material that consists of 75 percent nickel and 25 percent manganese. With the help of this new technology, it has been possible to significantly improve the cycle aging as well as the calendar life of the NMx cells compared to conventional NCM811 battery cells. This allows for over 2,500 charging cycles."

The long lifespan of the NMx battery cells is achieved in part through an ultra-thin surface coating (Nano-Coating) that consists of only a few hundred atoms. It protects the surface of the cathode from side reactions with the electrolyte and prevents battery degradation. Thus, the capacity of the NMx batteries and hence their range decreases less over time.