EV battery pack health is an area of concern for any major motor sector insurance brand. The dangers involved when conducting FNOL, assessment, garage repairs or storing EVs whilst waiting for parts, are significant. Fire is the main risk of course, but the battery itself can be damaged by letting it run flat then leaving it unattended or failing to charge it fully before test driving etc.
The issue of damage to battery pack mounting within the chassis and the process of calibrating all sensors after repairs is also a thorny problem for insurers. Now Metis Engineering, a specialist in battery sensor technology, claims to have addressed the unsustainable and unnecessary scrapping of used EVs. Part of the solution is enhancing the automotive market’s access to vehicle battery health data.
Here’s the word;
At the mobility event, Metis Engineering highlighted how the lack of transparent data on electric vehicle battery health, which is unable to help inform consumers, dealers or insurers of the state of the battery condition, is leading to EVs being needlessly scrapped if they are involved in the most minor collisions.
Until now, the used EV market has not had an effective method to provide consumers with clear data on the health of a car’s battery. Consequently, insurance companies face uncertainty when assessing potential battery damage, often resulting in conservative write-offs even if they have travelled only a few miles. This practice not only raises insurance premiums for consumers but also contributes to unnecessary waste, hindering the circular economy principles that underpin the EV industry.
Cell Guard from Metis Engineering has been developed to solve this problem. Its first-to-market innovative solution is a CAN based sensor that can be easily integrated into almost any battery system and features an accelerometer to measure Shock load and duration up to +/-24G.
The matchbox-sized unit (pic above) is a unique sensor that provides unrivalled accurate and detailed information on the health of a lithium-ion battery pack by relaying any Shock data over a configurable CAN interface to a control unit, such as the vehicle’s ECU, which can be accessed to provide far greater insight into the battery’s condition for repurposing and recycling, as well as any subsequent insurance claims.
This information can radicalise the re-sale market of used EVs, with buyers given much needed clarity to be able to make informed decisions regarding battery pack condition, (typical unit pictured below) as well as its maintenance.
Joe Holdsworth, CEO, Metis Engineering said: “The unknown risk of poor EV battery health is one of the biggest and most significant barriers hindering the growth of the used electric vehicle market. By providing consumers and insurers unprecedented insights into battery health, it empowers informed decision-making while minimising uncertainty surrounding minor collision damage. Cell Guard is game-changing solution that bridges the gap between insurers, consumers, and the EV industry.
Developed using ISO26262 processes and certified to ISO Automotive Standards, Cell Guard is manufactured in the UK under strict quality-controlled conditions to satisfy orders from a rapidly growing number of OEMs and Tier 1s where they are being used in ASIL B applications.
Cell Guard is also capable of detecting cell venting, which is an early sign of catastrophic battery failure vastly reducing the risk of thermal runaway. Unlike current battery cell monitoring systems (BMS), which typically only offer temperature and voltage sensors, Cell Guard monitors a range of environmental parameters required to ensure that the battery continues to operate in optimum conditions, including VOCs, Pressure change, Humidity, and Dew point.
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