Battery condition checks: The solution from TÜV SÜD and AVILOO for Used Electric vehicles
One of the big challenges of the industry: how healthy is the battery in a used EV?
The traction battery in an electric car is the most expensive component and its condition determines the actual value when selling a used vehicle. A reliable statement about the condition of the battery, is therefore very valuable for both seller and buyer. Driving behaviour, charging cycles, age - these factors influence the condition of batteries.
How can we master these challenges?
TÜV SÜD has developed an inspection solution for the B2B market together with its partner AVILOO. The so-called “Flash Test” provides car dealerships and commercial customers with reliable results on the battery condition of used electric vehicles in just a few minutes and at low cost. This combination makes this approach ideal for the remarketing use case.
How does the Flash Test work?
The Flash Test is designed to detect battery defects and noticeable historic battery usage through battery data analysis. The collection and analysis of the required data only takes three minutes and can therefore be easily integrated into existing processes. A test drive is not required.
The AVILOO Box is connected to the OBD interface of the vehicle. It only takes three minutes before a green LED in the AVILOO Box signals the successful end of the procedure.
"The extensive experience with Battery Data and the substantial amount of data already collected and analysed by AVILOO in the past years form the basis for the Flash Test," explains Markus Gregor, Project Manager Battery Testing at TÜV SÜD. The Flash Test analyses five different categories:
- vehicle communication
- High voltage battery control unit
- High voltage battery condition
- low voltage system
- High voltage battery history
Luis Maria Perez-Serrano, Head of International Remarketing@TÜV SÜD, has a clear picture on this matter: “Battery tests will become a standard procedure of the remarketing process as long as customers are able to integrate them in any existing inspection process. Checking the condition of the battery will become an essential part of remarketing as the battery makes up to 40% or even more of the value of a car.” The Flash Test addresses the key characteristics of the remarketing process: it is quick, it is reliable, and it covers already more than 80 % of all electric vehicle models that are typically already part of the used car market.
How can you preserve the health of your battery?
Never fully charge a battery except if you need the full range. Ideally a battery always remains within a 40%-60% state of charge.
Parking behaviour - the ideal ambient temperature for a battery is around 20 degrees Celsius. Therefore, great heat or extreme cold should be avoided.
High speed charging shall be avoided when possible and the electric vehicle shall never be parked (e.g. overnight, etc.) with a state of charge exceeding 80 %.
"The FLASH Test is a new product from our AVILOO Technology Center specifically designed for customers that require a fast battery analysis and are not able to drive the car" says Wolfgang Berger, CEO. TÜV SÜD has supported AVILOO with testing of the product to make it more compliant with the needs of the remarketing industry.
