Electric mobility is picking up speed: Vehicles with alternative drive systems are regarded as a key component in the fight against noise pollution and constantly rising emissions in densely populated areas. With a view to current environmental and climate protection targets, various European countries are already planning to abandon the combustion engine. China - currently the world's largest market for electric vehicles - reported over 1 million electric cars sold last year. According to the management consultancy McKinsey, the local market grew by 85 percent in 2018.
In addition to the electric motor and power electronics, a core element of these vehicles is the high-voltage (HV) battery. According to the current status, lithium-ion technology has emerged as the dominant technology here, as it currently exhibits the best performance in comparison. The HV battery consists of hundreds to thousands of individual cells of various shapes and performance classes, which are assembled into modules and finally into a complete battery. The design of the individual cells varies depending on the manufacturer or vehicle manufacturer. Cylindrical and prismatic shapes are used as well as pouch cells, which are also referred to as "coffee bag" cells due to their external resemblance to vacuum packaged coffee powder. The decision for a certain cell format is linked to several central factors for the vehicle manufacturer, such as manufacturing costs, energy density, weight and scalability. Also essential are the properties of the cells in terms of heat generation and the associated cooling requirement.