AVL and Henkel join forces for battery development for EVs

German industrial group Henkel and AVL have joined forces to test and develop batteries for electric cars. In the new Battery Test Center of the Dusseldorf-based major corporation, batteries are virtually mapped during development, put through their paces and subsequently optimised. The goal is to enable OEMs and suppliers to implement reliable, fast as well as sustainable processes in battery production.

In the new TISAX-certified Battery Engineering Center with its attached Test Center, Henkel accompanies its partners from concept idea to the finished and ready-to-use product. The company does so together with AVL, among others. AVL supplies innovative tools, equipment and solutions for the simulation and testing of battery systems for electromobility. This allows existing, as well as possible future, innovative material and system combinations to be virtually mapped and tested under real conditions and during charging and discharging cycles. In addition, battery performance tests can be conducted virtually and in real life under a wide range of climatic conditions. The core of the solution is the automation software, which controls and integrates all components of the test bench in real time.

Dr. Olaf Lammerschop, Global Technology Lead for E-Mobility, Henkel, said: “Having the opportunity to simulate and test full automotive battery packs with AVL equipment and simulation tools is a great advantage for our product development and innovation endeavours. With that, our new Battery Test Center enables us to co-innovate with our customers and partners and to demonstrate product performance benefits under real-life conditions.”

Urs Gerspach, Executive Vice President Test Systems and Global Operations, AVL, commented: "The cooperation between Henkel and AVL enables the consistency of simulation and testing in battery development – from concept idea to validation. Thus, a state-of-the-art overall process can be realized from the analysis of the battery to the simulation of the developed solution to the real validation on the test bench. AVL is proud to be able to support Henkel in its future activities on the path towards climate-neutral mobility."