Why battery testing is the hidden hero of EV evolution

The complexities of EV battery technology are getting more and more... well... complex. But, while attributes like range, longevity, durability and chemistry tend to get much of the limelight, there's one aspect of EV battery R&D that sits in the background without getting the fanfare it rightly deserves: Testing.

"As the battery is becoming more and more important as the propulsion energy storage system, there's a lot of testing and a lot of validation that needs to be done," says Don Wright, Unico vice president of engineering. "Those tests are very demanding, and as the battery packs start to change and we're getting into higher voltages and higher powers, the test equipment that goes along with it needs to change as well. This is where we're starting to see the transition to much higher power systems and higher voltages for our test equipment; we even have battery pack test systems that go up to 2,000-3,000 volts for very large applications."

On this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, Wright highlights the importance of adapting test equipment to accommodate emerging trends, expectations and new business possibilities regarding the future of battery-swapping technology, and what we know about the integration of solid-state batteries in EVs. 

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