The FutureTech Auto Blog

If you've never kept an old magazine (or a few) then you may not know the sudden joy of finding a blast from the past like this. Here's one for you pack rats out there - maybe we will find something about NiMH, Li-Ion, and Vehicle Electrification in your magazine stacks in the future? 

Delco-Light Plants were a glass battery (24V dc System) from over 100 years ago. Quite amazing how far our technology has come - and how amazing it still was back then!

Read more about Delco-Light here. 

Hybrid, Plug-In, and Electric vehicle technologies have implemented a multitude of battery technologies into a significant number of vehicle platforms.  From 2000 – 2010 Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) dominated hybrid vehicles and it continues to dominate the hybrid market today.  However, in 2009 Lithium technology began to make its mark in the hybrid market and this technology has continued to move steadily into the hybrid market with each passing model year.  Plug-In and full electric hybrids have been predominantly Lithium technology from the very beginning and these vehicles have been strictly Lithium for many model years. 

Every technology has iterations during its life cycle.  The frequency of these iterations becomes less frequent as the technology matures.  Battery technology is not maturing, but, it is iterating quickly due to the rapid cell technology changes.  When applying these changes to the repair industry where vehicles must be - it has a profound effect on the technicians that must perform the data analysis, diagnostics, and repair.  Unlike traditional vehicles that are far more mature and can be repaired by using pattern failure (pattern failure symptom recognition) analysis for a given vehicle manufacturer and model, advanced technology vehicles with electric drives and battery packs cannot be diagnosed using pattern failure recognition.  With changes in battery cell chemistry, sometimes by model year, pattern failure recognition is impossible.  Furthermore, when cell chemistries change, this means that the data and how it will react with various driving conditions is very different from year to year – even for the same vehicle model.
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To solve this dilemma, service technicians and their managers need to recognize that the necessary analysis and diagnostic treatment for the advanced technology vehicles is significantly different than a traditional vehicle.  Technicians will need to accept that they will need to learn the operation of the different battery technologies so they can determine how to interpret scan tool data and how to manipulate the vehicle system to force the diagnostic process into something less gray and more binary.  So, it’s time for technicians to go back to school; the train has already left the station.   

​Many times during a FutureTech hybrid training class, we’re asked by students if there is any easy method of determining whether a driveability problem is engine related or electric propulsion related.  Depending on which manufacturer and systems design this can be more or less difficult to determine.  However, there is one generic method of at least isolating whether the problem is engine or electric propulsion related and that is to use the Regenerative (Regen) Braking mode. As a short review, Regen converts the kinetic energy stored by the vehicle (in motion) into electricity by the 3-phase electric drive motor.  This converted energy is then transferred to the 3-phase power inverter and rectified using software controls from alternating current to direct current.  This direct current is transferred to the battery pack to store the energy.
 
To determine whether a hesitation, chuggle, fish bite, or other low power condition is engine or electric propulsion related, merely accelerate the vehicle at wide-open throttle for about 5-10 seconds.  You will likely feel the problem during this acceleration.  After the 5-10 second acceleration, immediately perform an aggressive braking event.  If you can still feel the problem during Regen braking, it’s a problem related to the electric propulsion system (drive motor or power inverter).  If the problem is no longer there during Regen, the problem resides in the traditional engine system.  I want to stress here that, this is a simple generic test to help narrow where the problem may be stemming, it is not meant to be an “all encompassing” test.  Notice that I didn’t mention the battery pack.  There is a separate test that can be performed on the battery pack (stress test), and this can be performed during the same test drive for the engine and electric propulsion system by using a scan tool.  The battery pack can also cause hesitations, chuggles, fish bites, etc.
 
In total, this is about a 20 minute test drive for the engine, electric propulsion, and battery pack.  It’s simple, effective, and will save a technician significant diagnostic time.   

​In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, hybrid bus systems were being developed at a feverish pace, based on low emission and higher fuel efficiency requirements from many major cities in the U.S. Market. However, as transportation technologies march forward, it appears that hybrid bus systems may experience serious competition from pure electric bus systems.  Many countries external of the U.S. are venturing into the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) market to improve air quality (i.e., China, Singapore, etc.) this is driving the need for bus fleets with ZEV systems.  Companies such as BYD and Proterra have quickly caught the eye of several U.S. cities that are shifting from traditional diesel powered buses directly to ZEV bus systems, eliminating the “in between step” of using hybrid technology.

The reason that ZEV buses can be utilized is that Lithium battery technology has superior specific energy and energy density that reduces the size and mass (weight) of the battery pack system.  Therefore, enormous battery systems are not necessary for a bus system due to the advantages of Lithium technology.  This alters the need for large battery packs which may no longer be necessary for bus systems.  If high power wireless charging technology is placed on bus routes and in depot sub-stations to permit fast charging of the battery pack, large battery packs will no longer be necessary.  Also, logistics would be significantly easier because, requiring the bus to return to the main depot for charging would not be necessary.   While this is occurring on a global scale, keep in mind there are and will continue to be other technologies that will be considered for charging batteries along a bus route.  Overhead wire systems located only at bus stops or sub-depot locations can also be used to rapidly charge the batteries.  This would eliminate the need for modifying streets or roads when installing wireless charging pads.    

Automotive service businesses may be missing out on how the can market their services to a new generation of vehicle owners.  The new generation of Plug-In Hybrid, Extended Range Electric, and Battery Electric (Advanced Technology) vehicle owners are very “tech savvy” and are constantly scanning their local area for businesses that can maintain, analyze, diagnose, and repair their Advanced Technology vehicle.  Acquiring their business may be very simple and does not require more than a few minutes of your time with them.  By adding a plug-in Charging Station, you can easily begin to market your business as “friendly” to these Advanced Technology vehicle owners.  The marketing is very simple:  Most plug-in vehicle owners want to know where they can plug-in to charge their vehicle.  In fact, many owners use smart phone apps such as Charge Point to determine where the nearest charging station is located to receive a quick charge.  And, it would be very simple to add your business to the many smart phone apps that are available to vehicle owners.  If your business is already diagnosing and repairing Advanced Technology products then, this would be a simple and inexpensive strategy to market your business as a location for not only vehicle charging but, also vehicle repair.  Level 2 charging stations can be purchased for less than $750.00 and only need a dedicated 220V electrical circuit with 20 – 40 Amp capability. 
 
You may want to think about adding a charging station to your business.  It’s an inexpensive method for exposing your service business to Advanced Technology vehicle owners globally.  It’s also a method to acquire traditional service business from a customer.  Remember, most customers believe that, if a business can maintain and repair their Advanced Technology vehicle, certainly they can repair a traditional vehicle with “old” technology.

​How many customers could your charge station attract in your business' service area? FutureTech can develop a report that is unique to your business, showing how many Hybrid, EREV, Plug-In Hybrid, and Electric Vehicles are close to you. 

​If you are a technician that is or will be working on advanced technology vehicles (i.e., hybrid, plug-in hybrid, extended range electric, or battery electric vehicles) Lithium battery technology may be something that you need to devote some additional attention.  Service managers should also become comfortable with knowing the higher level aspects of vehicle Lithium systems technology to make it easier in conversing and recommending servicing options with the vehicle owner. 

As the advanced technology systems continue to penetrate the market in higher volumes, the Lithium family of battery products becomes the choice of manufacturers that have entered the market in the past 6 years, due to its superior energy storage capability.  Lithium products are manufactured with two basic formats – cylindrical and pouch.  The cylindrical battery (typically an 18650 cell) is slightly larger than a AA battery and the pouch style cell can be manufactured in many different size configurations, dependent upon application.   Unlike the current Nickel Metal Hydride (NIMH) that dominates the advanced technology market, Lithium technology has numerous chemistry and family categories.  Each of these categories offer varied capacity and power characteristics.  The primary families utilized in the automotive or medium/heavy duty market as of today are Lithium Cobalt Oxide, Lithium Manganese Oxide, Lithium Manganese Cobalt Oxide, Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt, Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum, Lithium Iron Phosphate, and Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum .

​Each of these Lithium family chemistries can have very different delivery of its capacity and power.  The electrolytes are/can be significantly different, although each uses Lithium Salt as a basic element.  Each may have different additives in the electrolyte that mitigate aging, reduce the possibility of a thermal event (fires) with fire retardants, and permit enhanced performance, etc. 

With six basic Lithium chemistries currently used in the market, it is essential that technicians understand the differences between the technologies and how each will react when testing the vehicle and how this relates to any associated diagnostic trouble codes and testing procedures.  When working with the Lithium families of battery chemistries and performing testing (such as) Stress Testing, battery pack rebuilding, or battery systems testing it is critical that technician’s know which Lithium technology that is being used in the vehicle and the associated voltage level.  For example, when working with the Lithium Manganese battery family, the associated diagnostics and any Stress Testing would result in data that (when viewed) is different when compared to a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery chemistry.  The difference between these two chemistry examples is, the Lithium Manganese families have a very linear discharge voltage data when compared to Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry that has nearly flat discharge voltage data.  This means battery capacity may or may not be easily interpreted by using Scan Tool data unless a technician or service manager is aware of the differences between the Lithium families.  Therefore, knowing how specific battery chemistries behave is critical in knowing how to interpret Scan Tool or off-board discharging equipment data.
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The bottom line to all of the differences in Lithium chemistries is for the technician to know what to expect with viewing Scan Tool or off-board equipment data and how to interpret this data when testing the battery system, whether the battery pack is installed in a vehicle or it is on the bench.

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