How Can EV OBD Regulations Support the Transportation Revolution?

THE CHALLENGE

Battery and battery system technologies (e.g., battery chemistries, diagnostic sensors, control algorithms, pack configurations, etc.) are evolving rapidly to facilitate efficient and rapid electrification of the transportation sector. As technological advancements accelerate, the automotive industry must continually develop and improve upon methods to assess the impact of battery utilization on performance and safety across the entire EV lifespan. These methods that are being developed for EVs are in many ways analogous to the onboard diagnostic (OBD-II) tools used in vehicles with internal combustion engines to control emissions, ensure reliability, and routinely diagnose and communicate vehicle health. 

EXPONENT'S MULTIDISCIPLINARY SOLUTION

How can we improve our understanding of battery diagnostics to create tools that will support vehicle electrification? For example, what are the most reliable techniques to accurately estimate the state-of-health (SOH) of the battery pack? Are those predictive tools designed to account for and evaluate different user profiles and environmental conditions? The ultimate objective is to optimize the total lifecycle management of the battery; accurate diagnostics can help establish effective secondary markets for EV batteries and support related sustainability initiatives by assessing a battery's remaining life span and potential future uses.

Exponent's Impact

Through the execution of battery characterization studies, Exponent is helping our clients understand the influences of charge and discharge strategies, as well as environmental conditions, on the degradation of lithium-ion batteries and their consequential effects on safety and performance. The findings from these studies are instrumental in developing algorithms that enhance the precision of battery SOH predictions.