Bosch launches cloud-connected battery management to extend the life of EV batteries

Bosch is bringing to market a new cloud-connected software service to manage and monitor the battery life of electric vehicles.

“Bosch is connecting electric-vehicle batteries with the cloud. Its data-based services mean we can substantially improve batteries’ performance and extend their service life,” said Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, in a statement.

The new connectivity will enable companies to remotely monitor and manage battery status to reduce wear and tear on the batteries by up to 20%, according to Bosch.

By gathering real-time data from batteries on the speed at which they’re charging; the number of charge cycles they’ve undergone; stress from rapid acceleration and deceleration; and ambient temperature, Bosch can optimize recharging and prompt drivers with updates on how to extend their battery life, according to the company.

The first customer for this new cloud-connected service is the Chinese ride-hailing giant, DiDi, which will deploy a fleet of Bosch’s software-enabled electric vehicles in Xiamen.

The tools are not only prescriptive, but predictive, allowing fleet operators to determine when a battery might wear out and provide optimal information on when to replace aging batteries to ensure the best performance from a vehicle, Bosch said in a statement.

“Powerful batteries with long service live will make electromobility more viable,” said Heyn, in a statement.

Bosch sees three advantages in these insights. They’re able to reduce the aging of batteries, improve maintenance and repair times and, by managing the recharging process, can ensure that batteries don’t permanently lose performance and capacity.