LG Energy Solution expands battery safety diagnosis business

LG Energy Solution's factory in Poland / Courtesy of LG Energy Solution

LG Energy Solution will expand its software-driven battery safety diagnosis business with global carmakers, as demand keeps rising amid lingering safety concerns stemming from numerous fires caused by electric vehicles (EVs) in recent months, the company said, Wednesday.

The battery manufacturer expressed confidence in its technological prowess regarding battery safety diagnosis software. The company has secured more than 8,000 patents in battery management systems (BMS) for which the software is considered crucial.

The LG affiliate also underscored that more than 100,000 EVs here and abroad are equipped with the software, enabling the company to pile up massive datasets to develop more safety-proven BMS.

The company seeks to win more orders from global carmakers, as concerns regarding EV fires escalate during the industry's early stages. The battery firm has so far supplied the software to a group of nine global carmakers.

The software is capable of detecting any unusual signs from EV batteries in advance, thereby helping drivers to enjoy a safer experience from their EVs even on long-distance rides, according to LG Energy Solution. The software is also compatible with vehicles equipped with batteries from other manufacturers.

The company highlighted the software's safety and accuracy.

“Global carmakers are increasingly focusing on safety diagnosis technologies, but it takes enormous time and resources for any firms to develop a reliable level of relevant software,” an official from the company said.

“But LG Energy Solution already has enough datasets and patents, surpassing those from any other carmakers. Our software can be applied to BMS for EVs. We will actively collaborate with carmakers to ensure driver safety.”

LG Energy Solution also developed a technology to analyze the level of battery degradation.

The company's BMS software predicts the future lifespan of batteries. It is continuously enhancing the software using artificial intelligence (AI), making it smarter and more capable of delivering highly accurate diagnostic results.

The battery firm is also developing hardware and software optimized for software-defined vehicles (SDVs), as the concept will be central to the future of mobility.

In March, LG Energy Solution teamed up with Qualcomm for the development of state-of-the-art BMS diagnosis solutions. Chips used for vehicles are also emerging as a major growth area amid the rise of SDVs and in-vehicle infotainment systems.

“We will continue to offer differentiated value to customers, not only through battery manufacturing, but also with our BMS solutions so as to build an ecosystem for safer mobility,” LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-myung said.