EC backs battery switch project

A consortium coordinated by Better Place and including Renault SA, Continental, Ernst & Young, TÜV Rheinland, KEMA and five leading European institutions has announced formal approval from the European Commission for an R&D programme to make it easier for European automobile and battery manufacturers to build electric cars with switchable batteries.
February 3, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

A consortium coordinated by 170 Better Place and including 2453 Renault SA, 260 Continental, Ernst & Young, 2236 TÜV Rheinland, 2239 KEMA and five leading European institutions has announced formal approval from the 1690 European Commission for an R&D programme to make it easier for European automobile and battery manufacturers to build electric cars with switchable batteries. This announcement is the first project for switchable battery electric cars approved by the Commission.

The project calls for the ‘EasyBat’ Consortium to develop ‘off-the-shelf’ automotive grade components and interfaces that enable the auto industry to easily integrate battery switching technology into their electric car platforms. The first large scale application of battery switching technology will be shown by Better Place and Renault with the commercial launch of the Renault Fluence ZE by year end.

The EasyBat solution will consist of interfaces for switching a battery in and out of an electric car quickly and safely; the connector interfaces between the car, the battery, the communications network, and the battery cooling system; and design specifications that meet European industry and safety standards. The solution will be integrated and tested on fully electric vehicles to ensure it meets production-grade manufacturing criteria and European safety standards.

Upon conclusion, EasyBat will have a next generation, commercially available solution for battery switch integration components and design plans that allow for different types of batteries, not just a single standardised battery. Car manufacturers that want to focus on proprietary battery technology can do so and still be able to integrate their technology into a switchable battery electric car platform as envisioned by EasyBat.

Part of the Seventh EU Framework Program (FP7), EasyBat is a 30-month project, which is expected to run until June 2013. The European Commission will contribute €2.2 million to fund the project.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • First EU-US Interoperability Centre opens
    July 22, 2013
    The first of the twin centres designed to promote common standards in electric mobility and smart grids on both sides of the Atlantic has been inaugurated at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. The second Centre will be opened in the EU, at the JRC sites in Petten, The Netherlands and Ispra, Italy, in 2014. The launch follows eighteen months of dedicated work following the letter of intent for closer co-operation, signed by the JRC, the European Commission's in-hous
    Read More
  • EU Transport Commissioner encourages cross-border cooperation
    May 25, 2016
    Opening the 2016 General Assembly of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP SCC) which aims to improve urban life through more sustainable integrated solutions in transport, energy and ICT sectors, European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc challenged cities and companies to cooperate across borders, to accelerate and scale investment. She said: "Cleaner air, safer transport networks, reducing congestion, optimising use of existing infrastructure – these are just
    Read More
  • European EV charging infrastructure market set to boom
    May 16, 2012
    Electric vehicles (EVs) have gained significant attention over the last few years from various European governments as they look to promote the deployment of EV charging infrastructure. According to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, contained in 'Strategic Analysis of the European EV Charging Station Infrastructure' there are strong indicators that the EV market will grow from less than 10,000 public charging points in 2010 to close to two million public charging points by 2017. Some three per cent of thi
    Read More
  • Videalert launches civil enforcement as a service
    June 23, 2015
    UK enforcement supplier Videalert has launched a civil enforcement as a service (CEaaS) solution. Using the company’s Department for Transport Manufacturer Certified hosted platform, CEaaS enables councils to significantly change the way they specify and procure CCTV–based enforcement systems. It introduces the ability to purchase CCTV traffic services on demand with installations taking place in days rather than months. Available for a fixed monthly cost per location or on a fee-per-PCN basis, CEaaS
    Read More

Highlighted Content