Improving the battery performance of large high-powered electric bikes is vital if they’re to get closer to the range and power of petrol machines. So a new battery research programme announced by Italian full-power electric bike maker Energica could pay dividends.
The partnership with AI tech firm Electra focuses on seemingly dull technology – battery management system (BMS) software – but BMS is a vital part of the power systems on electric vehicles, maintaining the life of the cells in a battery while getting the most power from them, and charging them up in the fastest most efficient fashion.
The collaboration will leverage Electra’s “Brain for Batteries” AI technology to improve the battery management systems across Energica’s range of bikes, enhancing battery performance to optimise range, charging, and battery life while also improving the overall riding experience. Advanced algorithms seamlessly integrate battery data with external factors such as driving behaviour and temperature – and Electra claims it can extend the overall life of a battery pack by more than 20%. The technology also provides more precise range estimations, helping to reduce range anxiety, and can detect battery faults and maintenance issues before they cause significant problems, improving safety, reliability, and cost efficiency.
“We met Electra and were immediately interested in their AI solutions related to batteries, a crucial element on which we have based our know-how from the beginning,” said Giampiero Testoni, CTO of Energica Motor Company. “Together with their team, we have started a research and development collaboration to apply AI to the BMS of our batteries. The studies are still underway, but we are thrilled to be able to work together with a dynamic company like Electra”