Could Bosch battery services be a solution to reducing the costs of electric vehicle fleets?

Although with the development of battery technologies, BEV vehicles with an increasing range appear on the market every year, unfortunately, it can generally be said that high-speed charging is not fast enough, neither for individuals nor for service providers to invest relatively large amount of money in such vehicles.

Together with Blue Spark Energy, Bosch and Mitsubishi Corporation have developed a solution to the problem of fleets of service providers (taxi providers, tour operators). Blue Spark Energy is a leading company in battery replacement systems, founded in 2003 in Ohio, USA.

The pilot project is taking place in China, the new battery service model is based on Bosch’s cloud services system, called Battery in the Cloud. Bosch and Mitsubishi Corporation, together with Blue Park Smart Energy (BPSE), created the Battery as a Service (BaaS) innovation, which means that fleet operators do not have to buy the batteries, but only pay for their use. This is beneficial for fleet operators because they do not bear the risks resulting from degradation, and the initial investment costs can also be kept lower. This is important because the fear of battery degradation during long-term use often arises as a problem with electric cars.

The foundations of the new battery service model will be based on Bosch’s cloud services system, Battery in the Cloud. The vehicle’s battery condition and degradation will be analyzed by software functions in the cloud, which will take preventive steps to prevent cell aging. The technology will have a positive effect on battery life, because all battery-related data is stored in the cloud in real time – in extreme weather conditions, the cloud service ensures that batteries are not charged to 100%, as this would increase the probability of their aging. With the help of another useful function, the cloud-based service would indicate the failure of the battery to the driver or the fleet operator at the beginning of the process, so that it will be possible to intervene in the process even before the irreversible damage occurs.

Source: www.iot-automotive.news

 “In this cooperation, Mitsubishi Corporation’s broad commercial experience and resources together with Bosch’s Battery in the Cloud service will link the battery swapping business to the financial service,” says Seiji Hamanaka, General Manager of Mitsubishi Corporation’s Battery Business.

In the long term, Mitsubishi also plans to create a financial leasing ecosystem for mobility service providers.

“The cooperation can build a profitable business for commercial fleet operators, while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases and creating a more favorable environment for the adaptation of new energy vehicles,” adds Hamanaka.

Bosch and Mitsubishi are also looking for a solution to the problem of used batteries. By giving these used batteries a second life, the two companies would take steps towards sustainability.

BOSCH BATTERY SERVICES CUT COSTS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEETS (iot-automotive.news)