General Motors will be the first automaker to use an almost completely wireless battery management system, or wBMS, for production electric vehicles. This wireless system, developed with Analog Devices, Inc., will be a primary driver of GM’s ability to ultimately power many different types of electric vehicles from a common set of battery components.
The wBMS is expected to drive GM’s Ultrium-powered EVs to market faster, as time won’t be needed to develop specific communications systems or redesign complex wiring schemes for each new vehicle.
Much like the pack design of GM’s Ultrium batteries, which is flexible enough to incorporate new chemistry over time as technology changes, the wBMS’ basic structure can easily receive new features as software becomes available. With expanded over-the-air updates provided by GM’s all-new Vehicle Intelligence Platform, the system could even be upgraded over time with new software-based features via smartphone-like updates.
The wBMS will help GM’s electric vehicles balance chemistry within the individual battery cell groups for optimal performance. It can also conduct real-time battery pack health checks and refocus the network of modules and sensors as needed – this helps safeguard battery health over the vehicle’s lifespan.
By reducing wires within the batteries by up to 90 percent, the wireless system can help extend the charging range by creating lighter vehicles overall and opening extra room for more batteries.
This wireless system also provides a unique repurposing capability for battery reuse in secondary applications more easily than conventional wired monitoring systems.
When the wireless packs are capacity-reduced to the point where they are no longer ideal for optimum vehicle performance, but still functional as consistent power supplies, they can be combined with other wireless battery packs to form clean power generators.
GM’s wireless battery management system is protected by cybersecurity measures that are foundational to the company’s all-new electrical architecture or Vehicle Intelligence Platform. The DNA of this system includes protective features within the hardware and software layers, including the protection of wireless communications.
The wireless battery monitoring system will be standard on all planned GM vehicles powered by Ultium batteries.
