As EVs are becoming more and more popular, demand is bound to increase. BMW, as well as other car makers, need to be able to respond fast to the increasing demand and in order to do so they need to make sure the technology needed for them is up to par with the expectations. In that regard, BMW announced, a while back, the launch of a new Battery Cell Competence Center.
Located near Munich, the purpose of this new building is to develop next-level batteries that would, in turn, give BMW the upper hand in the upcoming EV war. The Bavarian group invested no less than 200 million euros in the new center and the first results are already showing, this year PHEV models getting new battery packs. These new packs have the same exterior shape and size but they can store more energy now.
In the labs, research and prototyping facilities, which make up the battery cell competence center, specialist departments analyze cell design and cell technology. They also create prototypes of future battery cells, focusing on the chemical composition of the cells, use of different materials, how the cell behaves in critical or extremely cold conditions, charging and rapid-charging behavior and evaluating cell sizes and forms. This in-house technological expertise is key to enhancing the battery, thereby enabling higher performance capabilities.
The BMW Group has already completed years of research into battery cells and acquired a high level of evaluation competence, especially through the development of the BMW i models. The company concentrates know-how from various specialist departments and locations at the new Battery Cell Competence Center and stepped up its efforts in this area to achieve faster impact. Research findings will be incorporated directly into the latest battery generation. Thanks to the video below we now also get a glimpse at what happens behind closed doors.
