Learn about EV batteries and see their impact the eMobility environment.

Being an eMobility leader in various projects across multiple startups, Piotr was responsible for OCPI and OCPP integration as well as EMP and CPO platforms development. With extensive expertise in the open standards field and eMobility tech solutions, he is leading teams of experienced developers and contributing with invaluable knowledge and experience.

Piotr Majcher

Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are a major component of the transportation revolution, providing power to electric cars and other vehicles to run efficiently. Their development has evolved over time. They have quickly become an integral part of the automotive industry and their future looks brighter than ever. In this blog post we'll:

discover different types of battery technology,

discuss the environmental benefits that electric vehicles offer,

examine ways manufacturers are recycled by manufacturers.

After reading this post you will be more informed about EV batteries so that you can make educated decisions when it comes to investing in an electric vehicle.

Powering an electric vehicle requires more than meets the eye. 

Underneath its hood lies a carefully designed battery pack that stores energy in the form of electrochemical cells, each composed of two half-cells known as electrodes

. When these opposite ends connect and electrons move from negative to positive side, electricity flows through – effectively giving life to EV motors with clean energy for motion.

Recharging an EV battery is like restarting a race car that's stalled at the starting line. By plugging in your electric vehicle, you initiate engaging electron flow through its cells, as if turning on a switch „

What are the types of batteries used in electric vehicles?

The different battery types vary by ion types, electrode materials and the associated electrolytes:

They are ideal for powering electric cars since they have a very high energy density and maintain their charge for a longer period of time. The battery's weight to storage capacity ratio is referred to as its energy density. A lithium-ion battery provides 10 times the density of a lead-acid battery, in comparison. High voltage is produced by lithium-ion batteries, which are also simple to recharge and incredibly durable. Often lasting longer than the automobile itself.

Nickel metal hybride batteries (since 1980)

You can know nickel metal hybride batteries as those, which can get maximum performance out of minimal space. With the absence of any toxic metals, recyclability is made a breeze. The positive electrode in these batteries features nickel oxide-hydroxide as its active material and the negative side utilizes hydrogen-absorbing. High energy density and non-toxic metals allow those types of batteries to deliver an exceptionally long lifespan suitable for hybrid & plug-in vehicles.

The oldest type of batteries, also known as the cell batteries. Lead-acid batteries are the workhorse of gasoline and electric vehicles, helping to crank over engines while also providing power for modern EVs like infotainment systems or driver assist technology.

Why has the EV world switched into lithium-ion batteries?

Lithium-ion technology has become ubiquitous across a range of products due to its impressive storage capacity - from smartphones and laptops, through to emissions-free electric cars. This remarkable charging power is just one reason why lithium-ion batteries have experienced such widespread success. There's a reason lithium is the element of choice for batteries - it offers exceptional storage potential with its high voltage capabilities and efficient density, allowing us to pack even more energy into each battery. Lithium-ion batteries offer a density of around 300 to 500 Wh/kg, 10x more than a lead-acid battery.

As Olivier Le Moal said in the article for Renault Group 

„lithium-ion technology today represents the best compromise between capacity, volume and mass in the electric mobility sector”

How are EV batteries recycled by manufacturers?

Recycling batteries is no simple task. The complexity of the process involved means that only a handful of companies worldwide are capable enough to do so. Companies like Redwood Materials, Li-Cycle, and Cirba Solutions have developed innovative methods to recapture 95% of the raw materials, such as cobalt, nickel and lithium after rendering them inert first in order to prevent any hazardous incidents or fires. These recovered elements are then refined before being sold back into the market for use again in new battery production cycles.

Ford has made a commitment to battery recycling with the Redwood Materials. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz is taking sustainability efforts one step further by building its own dedicated plant in Germany. In keeping with this trend Tesla stands out at the forefront by claiming it can recover almost all materials used to make batteries for reuse and repurposing, an impressive 92%!

Rising prices of lithium and its impact to the production of lithium-ion batteries

Affordable electric vehicles depend on access to an essential resource: lithium. This material is produced from two main sources: extraction from brine and rock mining. Leader countries in lithium production are Chile, Argentina and Australia. By 2040, the demand for lithium is expected to have increased more than 40 times, mostly due to the transition to electric cars. The world is not short of lithium, data from 2018 from Mineral Commodity Summaries U.S. shows that reserves are equivalent to 370 years of current production.


The debate is around its cost. Lithium has been rightly referred to as 

 due to its increasing importance within these rapidly growing industries over recent years. Data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI) shows that between January 2021 and January 2022, the cost of the lithium-rich raw material spodumene increased by 478.3%. But this year, due to business analyst, prices won’t be drastically rising. But Rystad Energy, meanwhile, told the Financial Times that 

„within the automotive industry, there is some consensus that the rapid growth observed in 2021 and 2022 may not be seen this year”

Electric vehicle batteries are a vital component of the transportation revolution, providing power for electric cars and other vehicles with much lower carbon emissions than gasoline or diesel-powered counterparts. As manufacturers continue to experiment with new technologies and ways to maximize battery performance, it's reasonable to assume that even more strides will be made in sustainability. All in all, with the current trends and advances in technology, EV batteries may prove to be just what we need to reduce our energy consumption and help steer us towards a greener future.

We hope this article helped point you in the right direction! If you'd like to further your knowledge on EVs, check the article about 

Demand response

Get our informative PDF on smart charging and see how it works!

Krzysztof is our Head of Products and he leads the technical development behind the suite of our ready-made solutions. Throughout the years in Solidstudio, he gained an invaluable insight into the eMobilty industry’s requirements and is now more than qualified to share his knowledge with others.

Krzysztof Ciombor

As we move towards an era where oil will likely become less accessible or even regulated in some way due to global warming concerns and other issues such as pollution caused by fuel sources like coal fired power plants, 

electric vehicles are to become the transport of the future.

 With such a massive shift across all transportation branches, all hands on deck in terms of innovative solutions are needed.

Luckily, such industry ameliorations can be observed in every aspect there is to eMobility. From ever-enhancing electric cars with prolonged-battery lives to all kinds of charging facilities, eMobility is entering a whole new level.

Amongst these solutions, a big part is played by software and digital products. Namely, eRoaming, connected car data and smart charging are all here to stay and are only advancing at a speedy pace.

We have already covered eRoaming in one of our downloadable PDFs. To see more click 

A few definitions can be found in terms of what smart charging really is. Some of the widely circulating ones say:

Smart charging is a cloud-based technology that makes it possible to adjust how much energy is used by EVs based on the current state of the energy grid.

But what does it really mean in practice? One must look at smart charging as a complex, inter-connected ecosystem that enables real-time data exchange between:


Through smart charging, the charging stations may monitor, manage, and restrict the use of charging devices to optimize energy consumption. The optimization happens on the basis of collected data which gathers information such as:

renewable energy availability or lack thereof

Future-proof nature of smart charging allows for free-choice maneuvers in terms of the quality and quantity of features, leaving the room for any necessary add-ons. All that to ensure EVs will not pose a threat to the grid in times of high charging demand that’s likely to grow directly proportional to the growing popularity of electric cars.

careful monitoring of the energy consumption and thus, transferring the charging loads across available energy sources and adjusting the power accordingly. 

The shifts are to ensure the continuity of (untouched) energy flow for its other consumers, such as homes and facilities nearby.

All about Smart Charging

Standardize your energy knowledge with our glossary!

Experienced content writer with over 4 years of experience in the energy sector and many industry-related publications released.

Gabriela Stawiarska

As we’re now adding energy topics to our usual publications’ agenda, it might be a good moment to take a quick step back and break down some of the most recurring terms. Much like with the already well-known eMobility, the energy industry holds quite a word stock to itself. While some of them can be considered general knowledge, others not only cause some confusion, but are purely unknown to many people.


As the intricate industry befits, the nomenclature can seem impenetrable at first, but once the general grasp is held, there should be no more confusion.

This is a type of current that reverses its direction periodically. Generally, AC power is the most commonly used form of electricity based on the available voltage from the electrical grid. Being the fundamental form of electricity, AC current is what’s used to get devices like kitchen appliances, TVs, fans and lamps running in homes and businesses.

DC is a type of current that flows in one single direction. As its name suggests, it does not change direction like AC. DC can flow freely through various mediums like wires, conductors and semiconductors. It is mainly used by various electrical devices such as computers and batteries, but also for some of the railways or electrochemical processes.

DNOs are companies that own and operate networks for electricity transmission and distribution. They work as the link between generation sources, such as power plants or renewable energy sources, and consumers.

It refers to a level of electrical potential that exceeds the usual safety threshold and necessitates extra precautionary measures when using related equipment or conductors. Put simply, high voltage is power strong enough to cause injuries or damages like fire hazard.

This is the flow of electrons through a conductor. It expresses the rate at which electric energy is transferred, and it's measured in amperes (A).

Energy conversion is the process of converting one form of energy into another. For example, electricity is a type of energy that can be converted from other forms, such as coal or wind. This conversion process usually involves an energy source being transmitted through a generator and then transformed into usable electricity.

This is the minimum amount of energy required to be generated by a power plant at any given time. Generally, it corresponds to the constant demand for electricity and is usually provided by large plants such as coal or nuclear power plants.

This refers to the energy obtained from sources that are not depleted when used. Examples of renewable energy include solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal power.

This is a process that involves adjusting energy consumption to reduce peak electrical load. It includes techniques such as using more efficient appliances, scheduling the use of large appliances during off-peak hours, and curtailing nonessential uses of electricity during peak periods.

Micro-generation is a term used for small-scale electricity generation, typically in residential settings. It involves generating electricity using renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaics, wind turbines or micro-hydro systems. This type of energy production can drastically reduce the demand on traditional power grids and help households become self-sufficient when it comes to their energy needs.

Peak demand refers to the time of day when electricity usage is at its highest. This usually occurs during weekday afternoons and evenings due to increased residential, commercial and industrial loads. Managing peak demand can be a challenge for grid operators as they need to balance supply and demand in order to keep the system stable. To cope with these periods of high demand, electricity companies often encourage people to shift their energy habits to lower peak times and use energy more efficiently.

An amp is a unit of electrical current that measures the amount of electricity flowing through an electric circuit. It’s abbreviated as ‘A’ and it can be used to measure the power supplied by a battery or generator

A watt is a unit of power that measures the rate at which electrical energy is used or generated. Watt is an equivalent to one joule per second.

An energy meter, also called a watt-hour meter or kilowatt-hour meter, is an instrument used to measure the amount of electrical energy consumed by a specific appliance or device. It measures the number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) that have been consumed and can be used to calculate electricity bills.

It is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. Many people mistakenly believe that electric power is exchanged in the market - however, it's actually energy which exchanges hands. This makes sense when you consider electricity as a product of its two components: power and time. When we buy electricity from suppliers, this comes to us measured according to kilowatt-hours

Automatic meter read (AMR) is an advanced technology that automatically reads and transmits electric meter readings without any manual intervention. It eliminates the need for a technician to physically visit each customer’s premises in order to collect data.

Net metering is a billing system used by utilities that allows customers with micro-generation systems to be compensated for any excess electricity they generate. The system works by measuring the difference between the energy that a customer generates and the energy they consume. The amount of electricity generated is credited to the customer’s account, allowing them to offset their electricity costs and possibly even make a profit from their micro-generation system.

A circuit is an electrical system that enables electricity to flow from one place to another. It consists of a number of components such as wires, resistors and capacitors. The purpose of using a circuit is to control the current by creating pathways for it to follow.

A circuit breaker is a device that is used to automatically shut off the flow of electricity when there is an overload or short circuit. It helps prevent damage to electrical systems by quickly disconnecting the current when an unusually high amount of electricity passes through it.

A power inverter is an electronic device that converts direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC). This is done by changing the voltage and frequency of the DC signal so that it can be used in AC-powered devices such as lights, fans, and other equipment. Power inverters are often used to provide backup energy during power outages or to supply electricity in remote areas.

An electrical conductor is an object that allows electricity to flow through it. Conductors are usually made of metal and can be used to connect two points in a circuit so that the current can move from one point to the other. Common conductors include copper wires, aluminum foil, and certain types of plastics.

A fuse is a device that contains a piece of metal, called a fuse wire, which is designed to melt when too much current passes through it. This helps to protect the circuit from being overloaded and prevents damage due to high voltages. Fuses are commonly found in electrical appliances.

Crucial points on the distribution map that transform voltage from high to low (or vice versa) and enable the transfer of energy between transmission systems and the distribution networks which then can bring it into homes.

(the nomenclature may change depending on the region) overhead electrical line that delivers power from the pole to any building or residence. This is the final stretch before electricity ‘enters’ the building.

They bridge the gap between large energy networks and individual households. Acting as integral nodes in the electric power grid, these devices are vital for providing electricity to homes and businesses by taking high voltage input from distribution lines and transforming it into a lower output that is safe for everyday use.

A backbone for electricity distribution, linking power from sub-stations to end user locations

A power line is an electrical cable or wire used to transmit electric energy from one place to another. It typically consists of multiple cables bundled together and covered in an insulating material. Power lines are used for a variety of applications, including powering homes, business and industrial sites.

is a measure that reflects the output of an electricity generator, such as a power plant. It is expressed in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW). DNC is determined by the amount of energy available from generation sources at any given time, taking into consideration constraints imposed by technology and economics. Factors such as fuel costs, maintenance schedules

It’s the daily fixed fee paid to an energy supplier, usually by large-scale businesses, for maintaining their electricity supply. The standing charge is applied regardless of the amount of electricity used in any given period and can be an important factor when customers are deciding which electricity tariff is best for them.

It is a unique reference code given to each customer by their energy supplier. It is used by suppliers to identify customers and track usage and billing information. Supply numbers are typically five or six digits long, and can be found on all bills and statements sent out by the supplier.

The rate of payment for a given supply of electricity and/or gas. Tariffs can vary between different suppliers, as well as different types of customers (e.g., domestic, business). The most common tariffs are fixed-term contracts, variable tariffs, and discounted tariffs.

These are power plants designed to produce electrical energy mainly during peak periods when there’s an increased demand for electricity. They are used to supplement the base load that is provided by large power plants.

The Energy Glossary - terms you need to know

See what's behind the electronic system that controls the lithium-ion batteries in EVs

Being a co-founder of Solidstudio, Paweł has got to see all the development phases. He’s a skilled professional with years of experience, both in the software and in the eMobility worlds.

Paweł Głogowski

, we’ve briefly touched upon some of the emerging technologies in the world of eMobility. One of them (admittedly, not-so-emerging as it's been going on for a while) was the 

 used in EVs. It’s now time to shed some more light on what it is.

Surely, the batteries may be regarded as the core of any electric vehicle. Essentially, it is what gets the car going. It’s also what determines to a great extent how appealing an EV can get for the potential buyers. Thus, ensuring the battery runs smoothly, safely and efficiently is paramount in the EV formation process. Here’s where BMS kicks in.


) is a system that monitors and manages a rechargeable battery (or group of batteries), such as those found in electric vehicles, UPS systems, and solar energy storage systems.

The BMS is responsible for protecting the battery from operating outside its safe limits, maximizing its lifespan, and providing accurate information about the battery's state of charge, state of health, and current capacity. 

In short, its primary functions can be narrowed down to ensuring the battery remains safe and reliable.

A BMS typically consists of a control unit, sensors, and connection wires. The control unit may be a separate device or integrated into the battery pack. The sensors monitor various parameters of the battery, such as voltage, current, temperature, and state of charge. The connection wires carry power and data between the battery and the BMS.

The control unit uses the information from the sensors to determine when to charge or discharge the battery, how much power to allow in or out, and whether the battery is operating within its safe limits. If the battery is operating outside its safe limits, the BMS will take action to protect the battery, such as disconnecting it from the load or shutting off power altogether.

The BMS may also provide information about the battery to a user or system, such as the current state of charge, state of health, and remaining capacity. This information can be used to optimize the performance of the system in which the battery is used.

A BMS typically includes safety features to protect the battery, such as overcharge and over discharge protection, short circuit protection, and thermal runaway protection. These safety features help to prevent damage to the battery and ensure that it operates safely.

The BMS may also include features to maximize the lifespan of the battery, such as balancing. Balancing equalizes the voltage of the cells in a battery pack, which helps to prevent capacity loss and extends the lifespan of the battery.

Battery management systems are used in a variety of applications, including electric vehicles, UPS systems, and solar energy storage systems. BMSs are an important part of these systems, as they help to protect the battery from damage, extend its lifespan, and provide accurate information about the battery's state.

With lithium-ion, an average battery module consists of packs of single battery cells. That is because a singular cell doesn’t hold enough capacity to power the bigger establishments. In such cases (where there are multiple modules connected to make up for a battery) monitoring and managing becomes rather complicated, as the singular cells can charge differently.

BMS collects data gathered from the batteries (in real-time) and based on the information it acts accordingly. Amongst the parameters collected  there are:

Once these are collected, the BMS system will process it. The outcomes of such processing is the below data:

State of charge (SOC)- an estimation of how much charge the battery currently has - while in use

State of health (SOH) - an estimation of the capacity/condition of the battery, it measures how well the battery is able to hold a charge

Issues - monitoring and addressing any recognized malfunctions

Based on the outputs, the BMS then takes action to protect the battery, such as turning off charging when the SOC is full or shutting down the system when a cell is over temperature.

There are two main types of BMSs. The first is a 

, which uses one control unit to manage all of the battery cells in the system. The second type of BMS is a 

, which uses multiple control units to manage the battery cells in the system.

The main advantage of using a centralized BMS is that it is simpler and cheaper to design and build. The main disadvantage of using a centralized BMS is that if the control unit fails, the entire system will fail.


The main advantage of using a distributed BMS is that it is more resilient and can continue to operate even if one or more of the control units fails. The main disadvantage of using a distributed BMS is that it is more complex and expensive to design and build.

Which type of BMS is best for a given application depends on the specific requirements of the application. For example, if cost is the primary concern, then a centralized BMS may be the best choice. If reliability is the primary concern, then a distributed BMS may be the best choice.

In terms of the use of BMS in automotive, it doesn’t differ from any other means. It helps to ensure that the battery pack lasts for as long as possible and performs at its best. A well-designed BMS can make the difference between a battery pack that lasts for years and one that needs to be replaced frequently. This can have a significant impact on the overall cost of ownership of an electric vehicle.

Amongst the vital aspects that get covered by BMS in EVs, there are:

Thermal management - much like any other batteries, the ones installed in EVs can overheat. With thermal management, the censor units control the temperature and, if it get too high, they trigger the cooling mechanisms

Discharge and charge control - the primary function of any BMS is to protect the cells within the battery pack from being over-discharged or overcharged. To do this, the BMS will cut off the discharge path when the cell voltage drops below a certain threshold, and will also cut off the charging path when the cell voltage reaches a higher threshold.

Battery balancing - In order to ensure that all the cells in the battery pack are at the same voltage, the BMS will occasionally "balance" them by equalizing the voltages of all the cells. This is usually done during charging, when the cell voltages are highest.

Communication and Safety monitoring - Some BMS systems also have a communication interface that allows them to be connected to a computer or other devices. This can be used for firmware updates, data logging, or even remote control of the BMS. Additionally, BMS systems have built-in safety features that can monitor the system for faults and take appropriate action if a problem is detected.

All about the EV batteries

23 MARCH 2023 • 8 MIN READ