BRUNNEN/SCHWYZ, Switzerland: November 14, 2018. Swiss battery system manufacturer ecovolta has developed a standardised Li-ion traction battery that can save manufacturers up to €500,000 in electric vehicle R&D.

The company claims manufacturers can rapidly convert even smaller or pre-existing vehicle series to run on electricity, creating prototypes within just a few weeks.

Previously customised battery packs had to be developed for each individual vehicle model, meaning electric vehicle manufacture was only profitable with larger production runs.

“We estimate that vehicle manufacturers using a battery with an operating voltage of 48 volts and a capacity of 10 kilowatt hours (kWh), for example, will be able to save a total of €250,000 - €500,000 in development and certification costs,” said ecovolta CTO Paul Hauser.

“And things can move a lot faster, too. Our customers are generally looking at a development time of up to two years for a battery pack and the accompanying battery management system. The evoTractionBattery, on the other hand, can be configured within a few hours, whether it’s being used in a golf cart or a lorry,” he added.

ecovolta produces customised high-capacity battery systems and e-mobility solutions that do not need active cooling.