Volvo Cars' EV focus will be on range and fast-charging
Photo courtesy of Volvo

Volvo Cars’ EV focus will be on range and fast-charging

Rapidly moving towards becoming a fully electric car company, Volvo Cars is bringing battery cell technology development and production closer to home and aims to tailor its future batteries to the needs of its customers: a longer range and faster charging times.

It will do so by improving lithium-ion battery technology on its forthcoming second generation of electric cars, starting with the companyโ€™s first sport utility vehicle (SUV) on a completely new electric-only technology base.

By the middle of the decade, as it introduces its third generation of electric cars, Volvo Cars plans to improve the range further and integrate the battery pack into the floor of the car, using the cell structure for overall vehicle stiffness and improving efficiency.

In the near term, Volvo Cars plans to work with leading Swedish battery company Northvolt to further increase the energy density in its battery cells by up to 50% compared to what is on the market today. Later this decade, Volvo Cars also looks to break the 1000 Wh/l energy density milestone, in order to achieve 1000 km of real driving range.

Current charging times are expected to be cut almost in half by mid-decade, thanks to better battery technology and continuous improvements to software and fast-charging technology.

โ€œWe want to constantly increase the customer benefits of driving a pure electric Volvo car,โ€ said Henrik Green, chief technology officer. โ€œBy simplifying the design and integration of our battery cells, we can reduce weight and maximise space, allowing for considerable improvements in battery capacity, range and charging times.โ€

As Volvo Cars is moving towards becoming an all-electric car company, the importance of sustainability increases in parallel. While the company will increase the battery energy in its cars over the coming decade, it will also work to continuously reduce their carbon impact. 

Battery cells from Volvo Carsโ€™ planned collaboration with Northvolt aim to be produced using 100% renewable energy, while it is working with other battery suppliers to do the same by 2025.

Volvo Cars has a clear strategy to further reduce the carbon impact of batteries by making better use of the valuable material contained in them. Wherever possible, it intends to remanufacture or reuse batteries, and is also investigating potential second-life applications, such as energy storage.

Where possible, batteries that have reached the end of their lifespan will be recycled at authorised recyclers that are able to offer closed loop recycling of critical materials for use in future batteries. Volvo Car Groupโ€™s planned partnership with Northvolt also raises the possibility to utilise their established recycling operations.

Volvo Cars will also continue to focus on the responsible sourcing of batteries, including through a wider use of blockchain technology. By working more closely with its partners and suppliers, Volvo Cars will strengthen its responsible sourcing even further.

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