Future GM EVs Will Feature A High-Tech Wireless Battery Management System

BY Michael Gauthier | Posted on

General Motors is working on a number of electric vehicles including the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV.

While we already know a bit about them, the company has revealed the upcoming models will have a nearly wireless battery management system (wBMS).

While that doesn’t sound too exciting, GM said the system should speed electric vehicle development as it means engineers won’t have to “develop specific communications systems or redesign complex wiring schemes for each new vehicle.” The wBMS also can also receive over-the-air updates and this means new features can be added over time.

While the system isn’t completely wireless, it reduces the amount of wiring in the batteries by up to 90 percent. This helps to reduce weight while also freeing up for space which can be used for increasing battery capacity.

Besides those benefits, the wBMS will help “balance chemistry within the individual battery cell groups for optimal performance.” It can also perform real-time battery health checks and “refocus the network of modules and sensors as needed” to help safeguard battery health.

When the battery is ready to be retried from vehicle use, the wBMS allows for easy repurposing in secondary applications such as a power storage bank. As GM explained, “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. This can be done without a redesign or overhaul of the battery management system traditionally required in second-life usage.”

The wireless battery monitoring system will be standard on electric vehicles with Ultium batteries, and GM’s executive director of global electrification and battery systems, Kent Helfrich, said “The wireless system represents the epitome of Ultium’s configurability and should help GM build profitable EVs at scale.”

 

Fabspeed’s C8 Corvette Exhaust Will Make Your Spine Tingle

The C8 Corvette exhaust from Fabspeed sheds weight and adds power.
Lucid Previews All-Electric Gravity SUV Based On The Air

The Lucid SUV will be based on the same platform as the all-electric Air.
Production 2021 Lucid Air Available From $72,500, Rated Up To 1,080 HP And 517 Miles Of Range

The 2021 Lucid Air will be available from spring 2021 and tops out with the Dream Edition.
The $3M Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation Is The Ultimate Toy For Big Boys

There’s no other way of describing it, let’s face it.
Future GM EVs Will Feature A High-Tech Wireless Battery Management System

The wireless management system means engineers won’t have to redesign complex wiring schemes for each new EV.
Bentley Boss Adamant They Won’t Increase Annual Production

Bentley’s annual sales will remain at around the 10,000 unit mark.
2021 Mercedes-Benz G350 Has A 2.0L Four-Cylinder And Costs Over $200k In China

The entry-level Mercedes-Benz G-Class has 255 HP and returns 22 mpg.
Maserati MC20 Debuts With 621 HP Twin-Turbo V6 And EV Option, Starts At $210,000

It’s no Alfieri, but Maserati is embracing their racing heritage with the new MC20.
2021 Mercedes E-Class Lineup Starts At $54,250 And Tops Out At $112,450

The facelifted Mercedes-AMG E 63 S sedan will set you back $107,500.
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Goes Airborne At Nardo During Track Testing

Deliveries of the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport will commence before the end of the year.