How Volvo’s ES90 Achieves Up to 30% Faster, Healthier Charging with Breathe’s Adaptive Software
Dr Ian Campbell
Volvo Cars’ new ES90 showcases a breakthrough in charging performance enabled by Breathe’s adaptive charging software. Integrated into Volvo’s in-house battery management platform, this collaboration demonstrates how model-based control can deliver faster charging, up to 30 per cent quicker from 10 to 80 per cent state of charge, while protecting battery health and longevity.
Our partnership with Volvo Cars provides the latest version of our algorithm-enabled charging software for Volvo’s new generation of fully electric cars. By integrating Breathe Charge into Volvo’s own battery management system, Volvo customers can enjoy significantly faster charging times and an enhanced driving and charging experience.
Volvo will implement the latest version of Breathe Charge, our adaptive charging software, in its new generation fully electric cars. Our extensive validation indicates that Breathe Charge will reduce the time it takes to charge an electric Volvo from 10 to 80% state of charge by as much as 30%*, while maintaining the same energy density and range. Thanks to the health-adaptive nature of our technology, the charging time improvements will be maintained across the full battery life cycle, without impacting battery health or longevity.
Independent validation: faster charging, proven reliability
Media reviews of the Volvo ES90 have confirmed the impact of Breathe’s adaptive charging software in real-world conditions. Leading automotive publications have praised the ES90’s ultra-fast charging capability and consistent performance.
Autocar noted that “right now it charges faster than any of its German rivals” and described the car as a major step forward in everyday charging performance.
Auto Express highlighted its “true ultra-rapid charging abilities” and added that “rather than offering a long range or fast charging, the ES90 delivers on both fronts.”
Car Magazine reported that “charging speeds mean a 10 to 80 per cent charge can be completed in just 22 minutes” and praised its “long range and impressive charging speed.”
Top Gear emphasised that “the new adaptive charging software comes from a company called Breathe Battery Technologies, which Volvo’s venture capital arm recently invested in.” It also noted that “charging speed is perhaps even more important than overall range.”
These independent reviews reinforce Breathe’s commitment to delivering charging experiences that are fast, consistent, and reliable throughout the battery’s life.
Learn more: Go behind the technology in our latest article, Fast Isn’t Fragile: Why Breathe Charge Delivers Speed and Stability, to see how adaptive control enables ultra-fast, reliable charging in the Volvo ES90 and beyond.
Partnering for mobility
Our collaboration with Volvo Cars is the result of a sourcing agreement for Breathe Charge, as well as the latest investment by the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, its corporate venture capital arm. It reflects Volvo’s ambition to lead the development of premium electric cars and become a fully electric car maker by 2030.
In Volvo, we have a partner that shares our passion for electric mobility and delightful driver experiences. With our physics-based battery management software, we have the aim of contributing to faster, better and more sustainable electrification of the world – a mission that aligns closely with Volvo’s corporate goals.
“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. “Faster charging times, in the range where customers typically fast charge, represent a major step in the right direction as we continue to boost electric mobility and make it available to more people.”
Software-defined cars deserve software-defined batteries
At Breathe, end-user experience is everything. And our total focus is building battery software that enhances customer experience. To do this, we help customers - like Volvo Cars - enhance their electrification roadmaps by extracting untapped potential from their existing batteries to deliver greater performance. This partnership shows that fast charging and reliability do not have to be trade-offs. By combining model-based control with adaptive algorithms, Breathe and Volvo are proving that fast is not fragile. It is the foundation for long-lasting, reliable electric performance. Our dedication and focus on building innovative technology, that solves real-world challenges, ensures that global brands, like Volvo Cars, see the value of engaging with us to embed our software into their vehicles.
Ann-Sofie adds, “We have a lot of highly-skilled battery and software talent in-house. And 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. And this is an area where we've found that Breathe has the level of expertise and capabilities that mean we really should collaborate.”
Our physics-based battery management software uses adaptive charging to dynamically control the charging current in real-time, replacing traditional stepped charging strategies which rely on a pre-determined set of rules, often implemented as look-up tables. Breathe Charge uses a physics-based battery model to dynamically manage the battery’s internal electrochemical states.
Using our patented algorithms, our software increases charging speeds, without requiring any trade-offs to other battery attributes such as energy density, battery health or safety. It does so by managing the charging process in line with the battery’s evolving health, to deliver the best driver experience while avoiding the risk of lithium plating - a key contributor to reduced battery performance and lifespan. We do this economically responsibly, and with minimal supply chain risk, by finding innovative ways to get more performance for the same battery.
“Volvo’s ES90 demonstrates that adaptive control enables faster charging without compromising reliability.”
Dr Björn Fridholm, Technical Expert, Battery Management at Volvo Cars comments, “Differentiated, premium user experiences are enabled by the optimal, safe and reliable operation of battery systems. Embedding lookup tables and profiles of charge current as functions of temperature, state-of-charge and even state-of-health is no longer sufficient to deliver those experiences, or to keep pace with the rate of development of new batteries from A sample candidates through to in-production refreshes.”
“Adaptive charging, enabled through an embedded and real-time physics-based battery model, is now the new standard. Simply, it enables us to continue our march to “optimal”, while ensuring the safety and reliability that Volvo is renowned for. With Breathe, we are accessing that future immediately, delivering a better end-user experience for Volvo customers. We selected Breathe Charge because of its maturity, and we’re delighted to take advantage of the opportunity to lead the transition to adaptive charging.”
Powering a more sustainable future
Volvo Cars’ investment in our software helps position it for an all-electric future, while also aligning with its ambitions of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions and becoming a circular business by 2040. Breathe Charge not only reduces the charging times of Volvo’s electric cars, but does so without the need to change battery pack design or mine additional materials to avoid additional environment impacts.
Since it is fully compatible with existing hardware, scaling is straightforward, enabling us to support Volvo Cars as it increases its sales of fully electric cars significantly in coming years.
“We’re very pleased with this investment and sourcing agreement with Volvo Cars and support their exciting journey towards full electrification,” says Dr Ian Campbell, CEO of Breathe. “Deploying our technology at scale on Volvo’s next generation of EV platform opens doors to innovative car designs and performance improvements. We share a profound passion for electric mobility, and convenient, fast charging is one of the cornerstone enablers for the future we strive towards.”
Investing in the future of Breathe
The investment by Volvo Cars Tech Fund marks a significant moment in our journey. The fund, which was established in 2018 to invest in companies and technology that transform the automotive industry, makes strategic investments to help start-ups thrive and jointly accelerate the transformation of the global mobility industry.
With their support, we will be able to continue building innovative technology to help transform the future of mobility and electrification.
*Different battery packs will result in varying charging times. Testing indicated charge time improvements from 15-30%.
Discover how adaptive control is redefining fast, reliable EV charging.
Volvo’s ES90 achieves a 10 to 80% charge in around 22 minutes, demonstrating that adaptive control can deliver both speed and stability.
“Adaptive charging, enabled through an embedded and real time physics-based battery model, is now the new standard. Simply, it enables us to continue our march to “optimal”, while ensuring the safety and reliability that Volvo is renowned for. With Breathe, we are accessing that future immediately, delivering a better end-user experience for Volvo customers. We selected Breathe Charge because of its maturity, and we’re delighted to take advantage of the opportunity to lead the transition to adaptive charging.”
Dr Björn Fridholm,
Technical Expert, Battery Management
Volvo Cars
Contact
Breathe Media Relations
Tel: +44 (0)2045 295647
media@breathebatteries.com
About Breathe
Breathe Battery Technologies (“Breathe”) is more than a battery performance company. Since being spun out of Imperial College in 2019, Breathe’s focus has been on building battery technology to contribute to a faster, better and more sustainable electrification of the world.
Today, it provides a software toolchain for batteries that helps the world’s most iconic electric vehicle and consumer electronics brands do more with the power they have. Because an electrified future requires superior customer experiences. The company’s simulation and embedded software products encompass the full battery development life cycle to enable the design, validation and optimisation of better batteries.
Breathe Battery Technologies’ dream is that one day everyone will breathe clean air. That's why it makes batteries better.
