Metis Engineering is a specialist in battery sensor technology. It says more transparency on the health and performance of EV batteries is needed to address the unsustainable and unnecessary scrapping of used EVs.
Insurance companies face uncertainty when assessing potential battery damage, often resulting in conservative write-offs, owing to this lack of transparency.
This practice raises insurance premiums for consumers and creates unnecessary waste, hindering the circular economy principles which underpin the EV industry.
Metis Engineering has developed Cell Guard, “a game-changing solution that bridges the gap between insurers, consumers, and the EV industry,” according to CEO Joe Holdsworth.
Specifications
It is a controller area network (CAN) based sensor which be easily integrated into most current battery systems, and features an accelerometer to measure shock load and duration up to +/-24G.
The size of a matchbox, it provides information on the health of a lithium-ion battery pack by relaying any shock data over a configurable CAN interface to a control unit, such as the vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU).
“The unknown risk of poor EV battery health is one of the biggest and most significant barriers hindering the growth of the used electric vehicle market,” added Holdsworth.
Developed using ISO26262 processes and certified to ISO Automotive Standards, Cell Guard is manufactured in the UK. It is primarily manufactured for use in ASIL B applications across OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
Unlike current battery cell monitoring systems (BMS), which typically only offer temperature and voltage sensors, Cell Guard monitors a range of environmental parameters required to ensure that the battery continues to operate in optimum conditions, including volatile organic compounds (VOC), pressure, humidity, and dew point.
Cell Guard is also capable of detecting cell venting, which is an early sign of catastrophic battery failure.
