When it comes to choosing the right battery for an electric vehicle, it is not always easy to select the best option. Faced with different solutions and proposals, which is the most suitable? Customisation is a factor that can sometimes be overlooked, yet it is crucial. Why choose a custom battery manufacturer?
The importance of batteries customised
Whether it is a nickel-cadmium, nickel-iron or lithium battery, a generic solution will never be optimal.
One of the most significant advantages of working with a custom battery manufacturer is that a battery can be designed exactly to the needs of the electric vehicle in question.
This means that it can be optimised:
- The size and capacity of the battery to match the geometry and load capacity of the vehicle.
- Battery chemistry for higher efficiency and longer life.
- The specific needs of more or less energy required
Another advantage of working with a custom battery manufacturer is that a battery can be designed to have a higher performance and a higher charge capacity. This can result in a longer driving range for the electric vehicle, which can make it more attractive for sale.
Customisation can also include the ability to integrate the battery into the vehicle chassis in a more efficient and safer way.
Our approach to creating custom batteries focuses simply and solely on feasibility analysis. Our engineering team evaluates what the customer's needs are, in terms of cycles, area of application, voltage and capacity required. The key is to be able to design a tailor-made solution that provides the exact power that the application needs, no more and no less.
Customised lithium-ion batteries
In most of the projects in which we have developed our professional activity, we have designed batteries ad hoc for each client.
For this purpose, our engineers analyse the feasibility of the specific requirements.
- Working cycles
- Sector of application
- Tension
- Capacity
This ensures that we provide the necessary energy for each energy solution (electric vehicle).
The thousands of lithium batteries we have produced over the last decade have followed these stages of customisation.
What do we mean by batteries with a modular system?
There are certain specific requirements that make it even more important to be able to adapt and customise the product.
Sometimes it happens that in some applications, the vehicle manufacturer needs to provide his machine with different autonomies and the use of modular batteries can solve these needs.
Modular batteries are those that are made up of several cells that can be easily assembled and disassembled.
This has several advantages:
- Greater flexibility in battery configuration
- More replacement capacity in case of cell failure
- Better adaptation to different applications and energy requirements
In short, modular batteries are more versatile and flexible than conventional batteries, making them suitable for a wide range of uses.
In order to ensure that this technical complexity is not unintuitive for the vehicle manufacturer, we have created a management tool. In this way, by means of a practical guide, the installation of the modular customised batteries can be carried out in just a few steps.
The wizard automatically configures the modules by creating a single "virtual" battery, which has its own unique battery code. This can be monitored via the NCPOWER software.
What are the most suitable applications for the modular battery system?
The modular battery system can be used in electric vehicles to increase battery capacity or replace damaged cells.
It can be useful if the application already envisages high capacity batteries, typically above 600Ah. In these cases, there is no extra cost for splitting the capacity into smaller battery packs in parallel, e.g. two 300Ah modules.
If the lithium battery manufacturer has different vehicles with different range requirements, what can be done? One module could be used for a smaller car and two/three modules for a larger car.
This solution would allow the manufacturer to purchase a single battery code for all applications, simplifying the supply chain part of the supply chain.
Advantages of modular batteries
One of the great advantages of modular batteries is that they are scalable. The system can be scaled down or expanded according to the changing needs of the vehicle. By having independent components, they can be added or removed, used or deactivated, as required.
With the modular system, the vehicle manufacturer could set up the system with a standard range and add modules to increase the range only for customers with more intensive use.
Moreover, with this operation, a customer could purchase the basic solution and later request the insertion of other modules in parallel. In this way, the investment is phased, the risk is lower and the costs can be progressive.
This is true as long as there is space to install other modules. This is why customisation is key, in order to be able to analyse each case separately and optimise it.
In short, these are the major advantages of a module-based customised battery solution:
- Unique battery code
- Easy configuration
- Simplified supply chain
- Quick and easy installation
- Convenient battery capacity management
Limitations of modularity that customisation solves
The limited dimensional flexibility of the modular system can be a problem in certain cases.
Modular lithium batteries use several storage battery packs in parallel within the application indistinctly, because each battery is identical to the other with the same, standardised dimensions.
This can sometimes lead to problems, because it requires an adjustment on the side of the car, and sometimes mechanical limitations do not allow such an adjustment.
Here is another good reason to choose a custom battery manufacturer. Modularisation does not become a problem even in these cases.
If the geometry of the battery can be modelled to fit the space of the electric vehicle, without having to modify it internally, this becomes a great advantage. In this way, the space problem is solved without having to lose the overall advantage of modularity.
In addition to the mechanical aspect, customised battery packs can be adapted to the electrical needs of the machine.
For example:
- Integrating multiple inputs and outputs
- Providing special functions, such as preload or isolation controls.
When working with non-customised modular batteries, this tends to be avoided, as the costs would be multiplied for each module. Therefore, there would be less flexibility in interconnections and specific functions.
Whenever low-capacity lithium batteries are produced and several batteries are placed in parallel, the fixed costs of each battery must be taken into account.
For example, a 10 kWh battery has the same electronics as a 20 kWh battery pack. Therefore, if we use two 10 kWh battery packs, all the functions of BMS, security, communication, etc. are doubled, which could increase the cost of all energy.
In short, these are the major disadvantages of modular batteries that can be overcome with customised battery solutions:
- Low dimensional flexibility
- Less flexibility of interconnections and special functions
- Fixed costs
- Major changes to the structure of the machine
We adapt the batteries to each client and need.
Our role at NCPOWER is to provide our customers with the optimal tailor-made solutions. Furthermore, with our criteria and experience, we can advise in each case, to create the customised batteries that the customer needs.
Analysing every detail of your vehicle can make all the difference and is essential in bringing the perfect lithium battery to life for you:
- The type of application
- Your consumption
- The dimensions
- The spaces
- The weight
- The context
- Methods of use
In short, all these data are crucial and on this basis we can study each need and respond with the most suitable electrification project.
Our know-how as manufacturers of lithium batteries with a long history in the sector allows us to offer a high value to each customer. In this sense, NCPOWER plays a strategic role for all those manufacturers who are entering into the electric conversion of their own vehicles.
Our team of specialised engineers and technicians are at your side immediately to decide together on the best option for your fleet.
Are you electrifying your vehicle and need to know which battery solution is the most suitable for you? Contact us and we will advise you, offering you customised batteries so that you can make the right choice for your vehicle. good investment.
