Swindon Powertrain has released the High Energy Density (HED) battery range, which has been developed to help producers of specialist vehicles, small manufacturers and electric conversion specialists with the sourcing of affordable, low-volume, automotive-grade battery packs.
At present, small companies seeking to use electric powertrains have to design and develop their own respective packs and modules, or source such parts from used or broken electric vehicles. Other disadvantages include not knowing a component’s history such as previous damage, and OEM packs often being designed for a specific vehicle, making retrofitting to other brands of vehicle difficult and costly.
Swindon Powertrain states that its HED range is the first commercially available off-the-shelf battery pack designed for such users, who will be able to buy a battery as a single unit or buy packs in low, mid or high volumes.
The automotive grade HED range has been developed to comply with ECE 100-03 and will be available from September in a 30kWh or 60kWh capacity. The solutions are 1,000mm long, 420mm wide and capacity is either 375mm or 615mm tall, depending on the battery. Swindon Powertrain’s HED range starts at a weight of 190kg and comes with a with a battery management system and a manual service disconnect in an enclosure for thermal management and damage protection.
“Niche manufacturers and conversion specialists told us they couldn’t source new, industry-grade batteries from the big suppliers who aren’t interested in low-volume supply,” said Raphaël Caillé, managing director, Swindon Powertrain. “This has led to some recycling parts from used EVs, often of unknown provenance. HED means they have a fresh, turnkey battery pack complete with the peace of mind that comes from over 50 years of supplying to the motorsport and automotive markets.”
