"My dream is that in 10 years' time electric cars will drive around with a display where you can see the battery life depending on different factors like temperature, driving style and traffic."

This is one of the visions for the research project Smart Battery that Remus Teodorescu, Professor in the Department of Energy Technology at Aalborg University, has just been awarded DKK 28.5 million for from VILLUM FONDEN. He will develop a new type of battery that uses artificial intelligence to extend battery life and reliability. 

This will be done by developing battery packs where battery cells can be monitored and controlled individually. Currently, a battery pack stops working if one of its cells runs out of capacity. And because the cells have different capacities, the weakest cells determine the life of a battery. Smart Battery will change that.

Better recycling  

According to the professor, the improved life and reliability of the new batteries could benefit the green transition in several ways. In particular, it may have an impact on electric cars, making them more attractive to buyers because the batteries will be better.

At the same time, an electric car with a Smart Battery will emit less CO2 than a car with a conventional battery pack. And the new technology will also make it easier to recycle the batteries once they have served their purpose in cars.

Artificial intelligence for constant improvement

In a new development, researchers will use artificial intelligence in developing new batteries. This is because, according to Professor Remus Teodorescu, you would need a huge amount of processing power to calculate the life of a lithium battery in real time using a regular computer.