Custom battery development doesn't always mean starting with a blank sheet of paper.
Depending on the application, the most effective solution may be to use a proven battery platform as it is, customize an existing design around new requirements, or develop a fully custom battery system.
The right approach depends on what the equipment needs to achieve.
Voltage, power, energy capacity, physical dimensions, duty cycle, charging, thermal requirements, operating environment and system integration can all influence the final battery architecture.
For OEMs, the development process is therefore about identifying the most appropriate starting point and engineering the battery around the application while making use of proven technology wherever practical.
The process typically follows:
Requirements → Platform & Architecture Selection → Engineering → Prototype → Test → Validate → Integrate → Production
Lithion works with OEMs throughout this process, combining existing battery platforms with custom engineering and manufacturing capability for demanding industrial and mobility applications.
A custom battery doesn't necessarily mean that every component or aspect of the system has been designed from scratch.
There are several potential development routes.
Where an existing battery already meets the voltage, energy, power, packaging, environmental and integration requirements, it may be possible to use that platform with little or no modification.
This can provide a faster route to integration while taking advantage of an established battery design.
In other applications, an existing battery architecture may provide the right foundation but require changes to meet the OEM's specific requirements.
Depending on the project, customization could involve areas such as:
This approach allows OEMs to benefit from elements of an existing proven architecture while adapting the system around their application.
Where existing platforms cannot effectively meet the requirements, Lithion can develop a battery system specifically around the application.
This can be appropriate where the equipment has unique voltage, power, energy, packaging, thermal, environmental or integration requirements.
The objective isn't to maximize the amount of custom engineering.
It is to determine how much customization the application actually requires while retaining proven technology wherever it makes engineering and commercial sense.
Before deciding whether to use, adapt or develop a battery architecture, the engineering team needs to understand what the equipment actually needs to do.
This starts with requirements definition.
Important questions can include:
What voltage does the equipment require?
What are the continuous and peak-power demands?
How much energy does the equipment consume?
How long does it need to operate between charging opportunities?
How quickly does it need to recharge?
What physical space is available?
What temperatures and environmental conditions will it experience?
How does the battery need to communicate with the equipment?
What safety, regulatory and certification requirements apply?
Duty-cycle information can be particularly valuable.
Average power alone may not describe an application accurately. Equipment can experience short periods of high power, repeated acceleration and deceleration, regenerative events, extended lower-power operation or frequent charging.
Understanding these operating patterns helps engineers determine both the battery requirements and the most appropriate development route.
Once the requirements are understood, the next question is:
Do we already have a platform or architecture that can meet them?
An existing Lithion battery or module architecture may already provide many of the electrical, mechanical or BMS characteristics required by the application.
If so, the engineering team can assess whether it can be:
Used as-is → Configured differently → Customized → Used as the foundation for a new system
Starting from proven technology can reduce unnecessary engineering work while allowing the final battery to be adapted around the application.
However, an existing architecture should only be used where it provides an appropriate technical foundation.
The objective isn't to make an existing battery fit every application. It is to identify the most effective route to the right battery system.
Once the starting point has been selected, engineers can develop the complete battery system.
Depending on how much of an existing architecture can be retained, this can include decisions around:
These decisions are interconnected.
Increasing power requirements can affect cell selection and thermal management. Changing voltage can influence current, cabling, connectors and other electrical components. Increasing energy capacity can affect battery size, weight and charging time.
Whether the starting point is an existing platform or a completely new architecture, the final battery needs to be considered as one integrated system.
Voltage is one of the fundamental architectural decisions in battery development.
Rather than designing around a limited number of predefined voltage classes, Lithion can develop battery solutions across a broad range, from 12V to 1500V, depending on the requirements of the application.
The appropriate voltage is determined by factors such as:
Higher voltage can reduce the current required to deliver a given level of power, which can become important in demanding high-power applications.
However, higher voltage isn't automatically better.
The objective is to select the voltage that makes sense for the equipment and its complete electrical architecture.
Voltage should follow the application, not the other way around.
The BMS is a fundamental part of the battery system.
Depending on the architecture and application, it can provide functions including:
Lithion's proprietary BMS technology can be configured around the requirements of the battery and application.
Where an existing battery architecture is being customized, BMS and software configuration may also form an important part of adapting the platform to the new equipment.
For OEM applications, communications need to be considered early because the battery may need to exchange information with vehicle or machine controllers, inverters, chargers, displays or telematics systems.
Thermal behaviour influences battery performance, charging and battery life.
The appropriate thermal strategy depends on the cells, power requirements, charging rate, physical configuration and operating environment.
Engineers may need to consider:
xisting platforms can provide a valuable starting point, but any change in application, power demand, charging profile or environment needs to be considered when determining whether the existing thermal approach remains appropriate.
Thermal management should therefore be developed alongside the electrical and mechanical architecture rather than added later.
The battery needs to fit the equipment physically as well as electrically.
Engineers can consider:
Physical requirements can be one of the reasons an existing battery platform is customized.
The underlying electrical or module architecture may be appropriate, for example, while the enclosure, mounting, interfaces or packaging need to change for the new application.
This is another example of why customization doesn't necessarily mean designing the complete battery from scratch.
The charger shouldn't be considered only after the battery has been developed.
Battery capacity, charging rate, available charging windows and equipment utilization all influence one another.
The engineering team needs to understand how much energy needs to be replaced and how much time is available to do it.
The battery, BMS and charger therefore need to operate as part of the same system.
This includes voltage and current compatibility as well as communications and charging-control requirements.
Once the design has been developed, prototypes allow engineers to evaluate how the battery performs against the original requirements.
Prototype testing can provide information about:
The amount of development and testing required can vary depending on whether the project uses an established platform, modifies an existing architecture or introduces a completely new battery design.
In every case, the final configuration needs to be appropriate for the intended application.
A battery can perform correctly on a test bench and still encounter problems when integrated into the final equipment.
Validation therefore needs to consider the complete system.
Depending on the application, the battery may need to operate with:
Motor + Inverter + Charger + Machine or Vehicle Controller + DC/DC Systems + Thermal System + Telematics
Electrical interfaces, communications and control behaviour all need to work together.
Applicable safety, regulatory and certification requirements should also be considered throughout development rather than addressed only after the design has been completed.
The goal is to demonstrate that the battery works as part of the equipment, not simply that the battery works on its own.
Once the final battery configuration has been validated, the project moves into repeatable manufacturing.
At this stage, the focus changes.
During development, engineers are asking:
Have we developed the right battery system?
During production, the question becomes:
Can we manufacture that approved battery system consistently?
Production therefore requires appropriate manufacturing processes, quality controls, traceability and end-of-line testing.
This applies whether the final product originated from an existing platform, a customized architecture or a completely new battery design.
The development process can therefore be summarized around three potential routes:
Whichever route is selected, the same principle applies:
The battery needs to be appropriate for the application and work correctly as part of the complete equipment.
Lithion works with OEMs to determine the most appropriate route from initial requirements through to production.
That may mean using an existing battery platform, adapting a proven architecture or developing a fully custom battery system.
With battery solutions spanning 12V to 1500V, Lithion can support a broad range of industrial and mobility applications, from relatively low-voltage systems through to demanding high-voltage architectures.
Our engineers consider the complete battery system:
Cells + Modules + BMS + Thermal Management + Charger + Communications + Equipment Integration
rather than developing the battery as an isolated component.
Lithion's proprietary BMS technology provides monitoring, protection, control, event logging and communications capabilities that can be configured around the requirements of the battery and application.
Our engineering and field application teams can also work with OEM engineering teams during integration, helping address the interfaces between the battery and the wider equipment.
This approach allows Lithion to reuse proven engineering where it makes sense while retaining the capability to customize or develop new systems where the application demands it.
Custom battery development doesn't have to mean starting again every time.
In many applications, the most effective engineering approach is to start with proven technology and determine what needs to change.
In others, the requirements justify developing a new architecture.
With the capability to support battery systems from 12V through to 1500V, Lithion isn't tied to one voltage architecture or application type. The battery can be developed around what the equipment actually needs.
The principle is:
Understand the application.
Select the right starting point.
Reuse proven technology where appropriate.
Customize where required.
Develop new architecture where necessary.
Validate the complete system.
Build it consistently.
That's how Lithion can take an OEM requirement from initial specification through to a production-ready battery system.