The operation of electric vehicles (EVs) under low temperature conditions is a crucial condition required to achieve customer approval in countries around the world. For this reason the BMW Group partnered with EC Power, LLC, the inventor of the All-Climate Battery (ACB) by executing an intellectual property agreement that will allow the BMW Group the use of the ACB technology.
Published in the top scientific journal Nature in 2016, the patented ACB technology delivers unprecedented power and energy while enabling fast charging under all conditions, including sub-freezing temperatures.
According to the company the technology creates a self-heating function that warms up batteries from a low ambient temperature to the optimal operating condition in a matter of seconds, either prior to or during driving. This rapid self-heating function, which requires no external power source, also enables low-temperature fast charging. Using ACB cells, EVs can offer customers the convenience of traditional internal combustion engines even in cold climates.
According to earlier reports BMW is looking to form a joint venture with Great Wall Motor in China, which could focus on electric vehicles.
A venture with Great Wall, whose Hong-Kong listed shares leapt 20 percent on the news, would be BMW`s second in the world`s largest auto market, where foreign carmakers have to team up with local partners. A person familiar with the matter said the new joint venture in the eastern city of Changshu would not deal with gasoline or diesel powered cars, indicating a focus on electric vehicles was likely.
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