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Firm believes technology can cut charging times by 30pc
Swedish OEM Volvo Cars has invested in UK start-up Breathe Battery Technologies, and will use the firm’s charging software in its new generation of BEVs.
Breathe develops battery management software that improves the performance of charging technology by dynamically controlling the battery in real-time.
Volvo expects the software to reduce the time it takes to get from a 10pc to 80pc charge by as much as 30pc, while maintaining the same energy density and range.
“The investment and commercial partnership with Breathe helps us address a familiar pain point for electric car customers and makes our charging performance even more competitive,” says Ann-Sofie Ekberg, CEO of the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, which made the investment.
The technology will be incorporated into Volvo’s existing battery management platform.
The firm aims to develop as much software expertise as it can in-house, but will look to acquire technology expertise where necessary.
“As our vehicles are becoming more and more software-defined, we are really clear that we need to define which areas we should build internally, and which ones we should work with world-class suppliers and partners,” says Ekberg.
The investment was made through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, which was established in 2018 to invest in transformative technologies such as electrification, AI and autonomous driving.
“The investment by Volvo Cars Tech Fund marks a significant moment in our journey,” says Breathe.
The size of the funding was not disclosed.
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