New battery cells for the HIGH CAB Semi Lowliner

April 19, 2023 – Whether service life or range champion – Designwerk Technologies AG has the perfect battery technology for every logistics service provider with special requirements for electromobility. A new addition to the portfolio of the Swiss electromobility specialist is the battery cell with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell technology. From the beginning of 2024, it will supply the energy to power the all-electric HIGH CAB Semi Lowliner 4x2T. LFP batteries are characterized in particular by a high number of charge cycles and a long service life. The lower overall height of the smaller LFP battery allows it to be used in lowliners, which have up to 15 percent higher volume capacity or a third level of grid boxes for automotive applications, and are primarily used in distribution transport with a shorter range than long-distance transport. Companies in long-distance logistics, which rely on the highest energy densities due to the required range, continue to benefit from the high-voltage battery systems with nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cell technology from the in-house Designwerk.

The heart of every electric truck is the battery. It supplies the energy required for the drive. The requirements for the battery system are as varied as the Designwerk. The high-voltage battery systems with LFP technology produced by the electromobility specialist have an energy density of 141 Wh/kg with a relatively small construction volume and a capacity of 170 kilowatt hours. The cells do not contain critical materials such as nickel, cobalt or manganese. Another strength of the LFP cell is its higher cycle stability. When the capacity of a battery is reduced by 20 percent, it is generally no longer suitable for use in an e-truck. “With LFP cells, we expect the end of life to be reached after at least 3000 cycles; with NMC cells, it is reached after approximately 2000 cycles. So with LFP, the maximum mileage for the vehicle is significantly higher,” says Thomas Prohaska, Product Manager Battery Systems at Designwerk. This means that even with smaller capacities, the technology meets the same durability requirements as comparable conventional powertrains with internal combustion engines.

Battery capacities of up to 1000 kilowatt hours possible
If range and low weight are required, the high-voltage battery systems with existing NMC cell technology are used in the Designwerk. The reason: “They guarantee a very high energy density,” says Prohaska. The latest generation of Designwerk has a capacity of up to 250 kilowatt hours and an energy density of 181 Wh/kg. Capacities of up to 1000 kilowatt hours are possible in a single unit or connected together in battery sets with several megawatt hours. “Ranges of up to 570 kilometers and daily ranges of more than 900 kilometers are so realistic. This puts us at the forefront of the industry,” says Markus Erdmann, Product Manager e-truck at Designwerk. One range champion, for example, is the MID CAB Car Carrier 6x2R car transporter developed jointly with Kässbohrer. With a charging power of 350 kilowatts, short downtimes are guaranteed: The battery can be charged to 80 percent capacity in under two hours.

Designwerk ensures disposal with a minimum impact on the environment
Designwerk manufactures both high-voltage battery systems at its Swiss plant in Winterthur. The respective modules from the automotive industry consist of several cells that store and release the energy. The overall system consists of a housing with thermal insulation to protect the battery modules from the outside world. Cooling plates are used to keep the modules within their ideal temperature range. Protective functions are ensured due to the battery management system (BMS), which is optimally tailored to the chemistry and permanently monitors the overall system and communicates with the higher-level system. After use in a vehicle, the battery is tested for further use, for example in a stationary application as industrial storage or as buffer storage in a charging station (Mega Charger). Only at the final end of its life is the battery handed over for disposal, with the battery’s valuable raw materials being recycled in accordance with the current state of the art.

LFP or NMC? Designwerk solves performance needs depending on the application
The first battery systems from Designwerk have been in use since 2015 and are proving their worth every day. The electromobility specialist solves the installation space and performance requirements individually depending on the application. Due to the expanded battery portfolio, logistics service providers using the HIGH CAB Semi Lowliner 4x2T will benefit from a longer-lasting solution in the future. Transport companies – for example from automotive logistics – that use the MID CAB Car Carrier 6x2R continue to benefit from the highest ranges and the proven high-voltage battery systems with NMC cell chemistries, which have only recently been introduced with even higher energy densities.