BMW Partners with Samsung for Battery Cells
The BMW Group and Samsung SDI plan to expand their supply relationship for battery cells for electro-mobility. The two companies recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect in Seoul. Samsung SDI will supply the BMW Group with battery cells for the BMW i3, BMW i8 and additional hybrid models over the coming years.
The most important elements of the agreement are the increase in quantities delivered over the medium term, in response to growing demand for electro-mobility, and further technological development of battery cells.
BMW Group to Develop Systems for Inductive Charging of Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Cars
BMW believes systems for the inductive charging of high-voltage batteries are the next step forward for energy supply. The development objective is to put reliable, non-wearing and user-friendly solutions for inductive charging into production that have been tailored to both the batteries in the BMW i cars and the high-voltage batteries in future plug-in hybrid models from the BMW Group.
The advantage of inductive power supply over conventional charging stations is the cable-free connection between the supply point and the vehicle’s high-voltage battery.
The system consists of two components: a secondary coil in the vehicle floor and a base plate with an integral primary coil that’s located underneath the car, for example, on the garage floor. The arrangement of the coils, and consequently of the field pattern, is based on a design derived from their circular shape that offers a number of benefits, including extremely compact and lightweight construction along with effective spatial confinement of the magnetic field.
The electrical energy is transmitted via an alternating magnetic field generated between the coils, contact-free, without charging cables and at a charging rate of 3.6 kW. With an efficiency factor of more than 90%, this method enables the high-voltage batteries to be charged efficiently, conveniently and safely.
