General Motors is coming up with a new wireless system to manage the batteries in EVs, the company announced. The Wireless Battery Management System aims to extend the life of the batteries while reducing development costs for new electric models.
With wBMS, General Motors claims to be the first manufacturer to launch such a system on the market. The various modules in the battery now communicate with each other via Wi-Fi. By reducing the amount of wiring in the battery packs, there is no need to design a completely new architecture for every new model. This makes GM’s EV platform a lot more scalable and reduces development costs. In addition, the wBMS can better regulate the individual cell voltage in the battery. This should ensure an extension of the battery life. Over-the-air updates can further improve the system over time, GM claims.
General Motors is working hard when it comes to introducing EVs. Last week, the company announced that it will build the electric pick-up Badger for start-up Nikola. Cadillac will be GM’s electric showpiece, of which Lyriq concept car is a precursor. All these models are equipped with the Ultium battery technology. This is a new battery concept from GM, which would, among other things, reduce the amount of cobalt required by 70 percent. Combined with the modular capability of the wireless battery management, this should ensure that GM can bring new EVs to the market in a cost-efficient manner.