The electric vehicle (EV) market is undergoing unparalleled growth, leading to a surging trend for high-performance and innovative batteries. This trend poses significant challenges for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), who are facing an ever-expanding array of battery types. Addressing this challenge requires substantial investments in testing capacities and technologies. The central question revolves around how OEMs can efficiently deploy their resources to focus on essential aspects, while simultaneously ensuring the quality and safety of their battery products. A pivotal strategy to overcome these challenges involves forging partnerships with reliable testing providers. Rapid and comprehensive testing procedures at the cell, module, and pack levels are imperative to keeping pace with the swift evolution of the industry and shortening the time-to-market of batteries.

With over 20 years of experience at its primary location in Nuertingen (HQ) and other locations across Europe, the teams of hofer powertrain have successfully worked with some of the most recognized global EV brands, OEMs, and Tier 1 suppliers. This rich experience, knowledge, and proven innovation in battery technology is now being brought to the UK. The company’s objective is to cater to the currently relatively underserved local battery market by offering increased testing capacities. Whether it’s individual cells or the complete battery pack, clients in the UK can kickstart their projects faster and test their batteries, ensuring efficiency and reducing any logistical challenges. This rapid expansion of the testing offer can be realized based on the long-standing testing experience in Germany. To speed up the process, Keysight’s purpose-built test environment with a comprehensive safety concept is being utilized alongside hofer powertrain’s own equipment.

The test expertise and solutions will enable optimization of performance and analyze behavior by emulating real-world scenarios. Across the workflow, these battery test solutions deliver accurate, repeatable results that provide deeper insights in less time, allowing customers to accelerate the development and validation of batteries. The Warwick facility boasts numerous climate chambers for comprehensive cell, module, and pack testing to ensure the performance and reliability of batteries. They simulate varying environmental conditions, allowing for comprehensive cell, module, and pack testing to ensure the highest durability. The specialized battery cycler facilitates lifetime tests under real-life conditions, determining battery capacity. Keysight’s SL1007A Scienlab Battery Test System provides excellent accuracy, ensures capacity with precision, efficiency, impedance and enables teams to study battery’s internal resistances, offering insights into batteries’ aging behaviors and informing strategies to prolong their longevity. The portfolio also includes advanced swelling performance tests, highlighting the importance of understanding battery lifespan to ensure sturdy battery solutions. Overall, these rigorous tests affirm the quality and performance of EV battery solutions for automotive customers. Further investments are already planned and discussions with potential customers are underway.

“The synergetic collaboration with Keysight Technologies allows innovative test solutions to be rapidly deployed. The primary objective of hofer powertrain is to provide our customers in the UK with the best testing offering tailored to individual needs. Through this extended cooperation, we quickly respond to several market trends and ensure the quality and safety of EV batteries," emphasizes Sebastian BRUECKMANN, Head of the Battery and Testing Department, UK.

Thomas GOETZL, VP and GM of automotive and energy solutions at Keysight added, “This offering marks an exciting milestone that will bring hofer powerteain’s heritage, their specialized teams and insight closer to the UK. As the EV market continues to grow, we are seeing drivers want improved capabilities and the industry evolving to meet new standards and applications. Being able to gain faster and more accurate insights while reducing risk and accelerating time to market is crucial for OEMs so they can provide customers with the best EV experiences possible.”   

Drawing from its rich history in battery development, hofer powertrain is set to enhance its focus on designing batteries in the UK. hofer powertrain is committed to consistently delivering market-relevant battery solutions, new innovations, and patented technologies among many others, addressing the dynamic needs of its customers.