Berlin-based provider of energy storage solutions receives grant from Federal Ministry of Economics
Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG, a leading specialist in clean energy storage solutions, is developing an innovative energy management system for electric vehicles which will enable energy storage solutions with a significantly increased range.
The goal of the project is to develop an energy management system, with which it will be possible to hybridise modern lithium-ion batteries with fuel cells, thus creating energy storage solutions offering a significantly higher range for electric vehicles. Energy management systems control and optimise energy flows within the storage solution and therefore constitute a central component of future electric mobility solutions.
Electric vehicles are currently becoming extremely significant, not only in Germany, but also around the world. The German government has set itself the target of having at least one million electric vehicles and 500,000 fuel cell vehicles on Germany's roads by 2020. However, due to the limited energy density of batteries, even with lithium-ion technology, electric vehicles run on batteries alone do not have the range offered by today´s normal motor vehicles. Fuel cell-battery hybrid vehicles are therefore regarded as a better solution by numerous experts.
Dr. Henrik Colell, CEO, commented: "The energy management system is a central component of our technology strategy for the development of innovative energy storage solutions with a higher storage capacity and range. As such, we are coming closer to our goal of positioning ourselves as a provider of fully-electric hybrid solutions in the attractive market for special vehicles."
Berlin-based Embeddeers GmbH is Heliocentris' project partner. Embeddeers is a service provider in the field of automotive development whose clients include well-known automotive suppliers. The company's specific expertise lies in the planning and implementation of control software for comfort electronics and drive trains in passenger and commercial vehicles. In this project, Embeddeers is responsible for the generic and project specific control of the energy management. Forchert-Consulting (Berlin) is responsible for the project co-ordination. Heliocentris will develop the entire energy manager including the necessary power electronics. Production and global marketing and sales are to be carried out by Heliocentris.
In future, the energy management system is to be used and marketed as a central component of Heliocentris' energy storage solutions. Perspectively, it will also be possible for other electric mobility providers to use the energy management system in their vehicles.
Development is to be completed by the end of 2011. It is being financially supported by the Federal Ministry for Economics with Heliocentris receiving €175,000.