New modular battery for electric vehicles by SVE

Electronic management system controls temperature

Last March, the Société de Véhicules Electriques (SVE) presented its new battery system for electric vehicles (EVs).

SVE is a joint venture of the Dassault Group and the Heuliez Company. Dassault is known for the design and manufacture of military and civilian aerospace equipment. Heuliez is specialised in car design, engineering, and OEM manufacturing. The mission of SVE is the development of electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles, EV drives, and equipment.

The new system combines the Cleanbat modular battery set, containing one or more lithium-ion units with a capacity of 7 kWh, with the Digital Vehicle Management System (DVMS) control unit. The DVMS controls the charging, discharging, and temperature of each battery unit and the battery system as a whole for optimal performance and safety.

Temperature control is one of the key issues in a battery-powered electric vehicle drive system. If the battery cells become too cold, the autonomy of the vehicle drops. If they become too hot, the battery thermal controls may fail, creating a safety problem. Moreover, both too much cold and too much heat have a negative influence on the life expectancy of the system.

The DVMW by SVE controls the temperature of each cell individually making use of the cooling water circuit of the car. To avoid an excessive temperature deviation when starting the vehicle, the temperature control system continues to operate when the car is at rest and plugged into the electric grid. If the temperature is not within safety margins, the DVMS prevents the car from being started. Hopefully these kinds of control systems will perform flawlessly and allow for moderating some of the safety concerns regarding EVs.