Volvo Cars partnered with Breathe Battery Technologies (Breathe) to get access to the latest version of Breathe’s patented, algorithm-enabled charging software for use on fully electric cars. Volvo said it will implement the new technology in its new generation of fully electric cars, where it expects the technology to reduce the time it takes to charge a Volvo from 10 to 80 percent charging state by as much as 30 percent while still maintaining the same energy density and range.
According to Volvo, the collaboration with Breathe is the result of a sourcing agreement for its flagship product, Breathe Charge, and represents the latest investment by the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, its corporate venture capital arm.
“The investment and commercial partnership with Breathe helps us address a familiar pain point for electric car customers and makes our charging performance even more competitive,” Ann-Sofie Ekberg, CEO of the Volvo Cars Tech Fund said. “Faster charging times, in the range where customers typically fast charge, represent a major step in the right direction as we continue to boost electric mobility and make it available to more people.”
Breathe said its software uses adaptive charging to control the battery in real-time. Using algorithms, the software manages the charging process in line with the battery’s health. Volvo said this investment in Breathe helps position it for an all-electric future, but it also fits with its ambitions of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions and becoming a circular business by 2040.
Volvo said the Volvo Cars Tech Fund was established in 2018 to invest in companies and technology areas such as electrification, AI, autonomous driving, sustainability and digital commerce.
