Precision battery management in high performance EVs

"Rimac is a technology powerhouse in the field of high performance electric vehicles,” said Rimac CEO, Mate Rimac. “We develop and manufacture key electrification systems for many global automotive companies and raise the bar for performance electric vehicles with our own hypercars. Our application of BMS is among the most demanding in the world, requiring the highest accuracy, massive current and voltage draws over very short time scales, and rapid dynamic adjustment within the battery management control system.

"We have decided to adopt the Analog Devices portfolio of battery management ICs across our complete product line of battery management systems. ADI’s ICs are an integral part of our in-house developed BMS that we are using in our own vehicles, but also for many global car brands. We have benchmarked these ICs in the market and selected Analog Devices for superior precision measurement accuracy and product robustness over the lifetime of the vehicle. We look forward to working with Analog Devices in the future to achieve high performance BMS in our vehicles and battery packs.”

The Rimac C_Two is a fully electric hypercar capable of speeds of up to 258 miles per hour. With 1,914 horsepower under the hood, the C_Two accellerates 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds and 0-186mph in 11.8 seconds. To support these high performance outputs, the Rimac team designs and engineers underlying technologies, such as electric drivetrain and battery packs.

BMS technology acts as the 'brains' behind battery packs by managing the output, charging and discharging as well as providing precision measurements during vehicle operation. A BMS also provides vital safeguards to protect the battery from damage. A battery pack consists of groups of individual battery cells that work seamlessly together to deliver maximum power output to the car.

If the cells go out of balance, the cells can get stressed leading to premature charge termination and a reduction in the battery’s overall lifetime. ADI’s battery management ICs deliver the highly accurate measurements, resulting in safer vehicle operation and maximising vehicle range per charge.

“High performance electric vehicles require high precision electronics,” said Patrick Morgan, Vice President, Automotive Electrification and Infotainment, Analog Devices. “Precision accuracy directly translates to maximizing battery capacity and range with fast charging time. We are pleased to support Rimac with our precision battery management ICs for its leading-edge electric vehicle systems with the goal of achieving some of the best performance in the world.”

Analog Devices offers a broad portfolio of precision battery management ICs serving multiple cell configurations and battery types across a wide range of applications in multiple industries. In addition to electric vehicle battery management systems, applications include On-Board Chargers (OBCs), high power Electrical Storage Systems (ESS), backup battery systems, and high voltage data acquisition systems.