Low Cost Flexible Battery Packs for Commercial Vehicles

To meet the UK's 2050 net-zero emissions target, sales of diesel lorries will need to be phased out from 2030\. Manufacturers and operators are therefore developing electric and hybrid powertrains, initially on existing vehicle architectures. However, building a module-based battery pack to fit an existing vehicle structure is space-inefficient, heavy and expensive, and these limitations are holding back truck and powertrain development.

Work to date has shown that arrays of cylindrical cells (rather than larger modules) significantly improves the use of available space in conversions of diesel vehicles, optimising weight distribution, reducing cost and potentially doubling the battery capacity.

The objective of this project is therefore to assess the feasibility of a new battery design, using cylindrical cells (rather than larger modules) to directly create a low-cost 3-dimensional battery pack that maximises the available space in existing vehicle envelopes.

To test the feasibility of the concept, the key project output will be a prototype 3-dimensional battery pack, representing a section of a typical 250-450kWh battery pack likely to be used in a freight vehicle.