New finding: Aston Martin’s partnership with Lucid on EVs will not cover all aspects.
According to recent reports, it seems that Aston Martin’s upcoming SUV, set to be revealed in the coming year, will rely on a Gaydon-engineered battery pack featuring advanced cooling capabilities. As revealed by CarBuzz, the luxury car brand Aston Martin Lagonda has filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organization for a groundbreaking battery design specifically tailored for electric or hybrid vehicles. This novel design promises to enhance battery efficiency through superior temperature control, particularly in situations where space limitations may pose a challenge.
In simpler terms, Aston Martin has developed a battery pack that effectively maintains low temperatures even when placed in a restricted area. This allows for a reduced weight of the pack. Let us elaborate.
The patent outlines the current method of liquid cooling used for high-voltage battery packs, which is considered beneficial. However, a common issue arises where the flow and/or temperature “around certain cells in the pack has been uneven […] resulting in inadequate cooling for some battery cells,” ultimately resulting in elevated temperatures.
This poses an issue for all cells connected in a series, whether they are modules with multiple series or parallel-connected cells. When a single cell requires the current running through it to be decreased in order to cool down, the other cells connected to it must also decrease their current.
In order to prevent the electric vehicle from experiencing decreased performance, certain battery packs are equipped with additional capacity to compensate for temporarily impaired cells. Aston Martin’s approach is geared towards maximizing efficiency and minimizing the need for compensatory measures, such as adding weight through extra cells.
The recently revamped Aston Martin Vantage has given engineers the opportunity to fully utilize the AMG-supplied engine, rather than simply accepting it in its original state. This trend seems to continue with the British car manufacturer’s plans for electric vehicles, as indicated by a newly discovered patent. While it has been confirmed that Gaydon’s EVs will incorporate “select powertrain components” from Lucid Group for both current and upcoming battery electric models, there is no confirmation on whether the battery pack will be included in these components. However, it is possible that this patent was created with input from Lucid.
For a considerable amount of time, Aston’s team of engineers has been dedicated to developing electric vehicle technology. It would not come as a surprise to discover that this innovative design has been in the works for several years. Despite the length of time it may have taken, we are pleased to know that Aston is committed to incorporating lightweight technology into their upcoming sports cars. As an aside, one of these models may potentially be named Vanguard.