Cost Benefit Analysis of Individual Cell Control in Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Battery technologies have been receiving great attention in recent years with increased pressure on green energy. Electric Vehicle (EVs) is one of the most important applications that is considered to be a potential contributor for the global green energy target. Battery technologies play critical role in deployment of the EVs. Batteries in EVs require storing high energy, which can be achieved to use huge number of battery cells in the battery pack. Monitoring and management of high number of cells in battery packs for EVs are important aspects of Battery Management System (BMS). This paper analyzes the cost of monitoring and management of each cell in a battery pack for a Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). A battery management system that can control individual cells by allowing individual charge/discharge ability is proposed. The extra cost that the battery management system brings and its potential benefits are discussed.