Nothing can ruin a good electric vehicle road trip like a faulty charge gauge that leaves you stranded.
The answer to that travel woe could come from China, where experts are creating better EV state-of-charge monitors, according to research published by EurekAlert!.
Precise accuracy has been a challenge for EV and larger storage packs due to the "dynamic nature of battery behavior," experts from Huaiyin Institute of Technology said in the summary. Their research included a "novel approach" using gas-liquid dynamics and an advanced filtering algorithm that helps track and predict data called the Kalman filter.
"The feat … can deliver extended EV range confidence," Interesting Engineering wrote.
The team listed four key improvements. First, the error rate was tested at just 1.6%. It's "a level of precision critical for reliable EV range estimation," per the summary.
Second, the team's monitor can correct significant errors in just five seconds. Other gauges take around 100 seconds to self-correct. Third, the state-of-charge measurement remains accurate as the battery ages, resulting in just a 2.5% error rate when the pack drops to 60% of its original capacity. Lastly, the invention is especially reliable with "sparse data … demonstrating exceptional stability," per the experts.
The breakthrough could also increase fast-charging ability and promote better battery health. The team intends for the device to enhance motorists' trust in the key gauge, reducing so-called range anxiety and encouraging more people to switch to cleaner rides.
What's more, the tech is intended to be applicable for emerging battery chemistries, making for a universal device, per EurekAlert!.
EVs are already reliable, cleaner alternatives to exhaust-fuming gas-guzzlers. The U.S. Department of Energy reported that model year 2024 EVs set a median range record, at 283 miles, which is more than the average American's commute. Kelley Blue Book listed the daily travel log for most people at less than 40 miles, for reference. Certain models are capable of far greater distances than even the median. And batteries that can charge in under five minutes are in development.
The efficient rides save motorists about $1,500 a year in gas and maintenance costs, along with preventing thousands of pounds of harmful tailpipe gases, per DOE data. Harvard research published in 2021 reported that decreased exhaust was linked to fewer air-pollution-related deaths.
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As far as better gauges, it might be a while before improved tech from China arrives stateside. Tariffs that span multiple administrations have limited the availability of Chinese EVs and related products to American consumers. Business Insider and Reuters reported that the levies are in part designed to foster the growth of a domestic supply chain for key electronic components. The measures also shield American automakers from competing with cheaper imports.
For Huaiyin's part, the findings are evidence that battery and EV makers could benefit from improved state-of-charge monitors.
"This technology promises to … accelerate our transition to sustainable transportation and energy systems," the experts wrote, per EurekAlert!.
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