Battery
400-Volt Architecture
A 400-volt architecture is an approximate voltage class, not a fixed battery voltage or charging guarantee.
EV Dictionary: Battery
Browse electric vehicle terms and definitions related to Battery. 70 terms
Battery
800V Architecture
A higher-voltage EV system that can reduce current at a given power.
Battery
Ampere-Hour (Ah)
A unit of electric charge used for cell and battery capacity; one ampere-hour equals 3,600 coulombs.
Battery
Anode
The battery electrode that releases electrons during discharge and receives lithium ions during charging.
Battery
Battery as a Service (BaaS)
A battery subscription model that separates access to the traction battery from ownership of the EV.
Battery
Battery Buffer
Energy kept outside all or part of the normal driver-facing range to protect and control an EV battery.
Battery
Battery Cell
The basic electrochemical unit inside an EV battery, combined with other cells to form modules or a complete pack.
Battery
Battery Degradation
How EV batteries lose capacity over time and what influences the rate.
Battery
Battery Internal Resistance
The effective resistance inside a battery that causes voltage change, heat, and power limits under load.
Battery
Battery Management System (BMS)
The controls that monitor, estimate, and protect an EV battery pack.
Battery
Battery Module
An interconnected, protected group of battery cells used alone or as an intermediate pack level.
Battery
Battery Operating Window
The cell-charge range the BMS permits, bounded by upper and lower limits that protect and control the battery.
Battery
Battery Pack
The complete traction-battery unit installed in an EV, built from connected cells or modules.
Battery
Battery Passport
An electronic record that tracks regulated identity and lifecycle information for an individual EV battery.
Battery
Battery Preconditioning
How an EV prepares its battery temperature for charging or departure.
Battery
Battery Swapping
The physical exchange of an EV battery pack for a compatible charged pack at a dedicated station.
Battery
Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS)
The system that heats, cools, and balances battery temperature during driving and charging.
Battery
Battery Warranty
Contractual coverage for specified EV battery defects, capacity loss, or both under defined conditions.
Battery
Blade Battery
BYD's LFP battery design using long prismatic cells in a tightly integrated pack architecture.
Battery
C-Rate
A charge or discharge rate normalized to battery capacity, where 1C corresponds to rated capacity per hour.
Battery
Calendar Aging
Battery aging driven by time and storage conditions, including while an EV is parked.
Battery
Cathode
The battery electrode where reduction occurs, commonly named as the positive electrode defined during discharge.
Battery
Cell Balancing
How a battery management system reduces charge differences between series-connected cell groups.
Battery
Cell-to-Body (CTB)
A battery architecture that integrates the battery system with the vehicle body structure.
Battery
Cell-to-Cell Thermal Propagation
The spread of a thermal failure from one battery cell to neighbouring cells or modules.
Battery
Cell-to-Chassis (CTC)
A battery architecture that integrates cells or the battery system with the vehicle chassis.
Battery
Cell-to-Module (CTM)
A conventional battery architecture that groups cells into modules before assembling the pack.
Battery
Cell-to-Pack (CTP)
A battery architecture that integrates cells directly into the pack structure.
Battery
Charge Curve
How an EV's charging power changes as battery state of charge increases.
Battery
Current Collector
The conductive substrate that carries electrons between an electrode coating and the cell terminals.
Battery
Cycle Aging
Battery aging associated with charging, discharging, and accumulated energy throughput.
Battery
Cylindrical Cell
A battery cell in a rigid round metal can, usually built around a wound electrode assembly.
Battery
DC-to-DC Converter
A DC-to-DC converter changes DC voltage levels for an EV's auxiliary, traction, or charging systems.
Battery
Dedicated EV Platform
A dedicated EV platform is engineered specifically around battery-electric propulsion and packaging.
Battery
Depth of Discharge (DoD)
The share of a battery reference range used during discharge or across a charge-discharge cycle.
Battery
Dry Electrode Manufacturing
A solvent-free method for forming battery electrodes without slurry coating and large drying ovens.
Battery
Electrolyte
The ion-conducting medium inside a battery, distinct from the electron path through the external circuit.
Battery
Gravimetric and Volumetric Energy Density
Energy stored per unit mass or volume, with results that depend on the measured battery level and basis.
Battery
Gross and Net Battery Capacity
Gross is the battery's declared total energy; net is the portion available for driving under defined conditions.
Battery
High-Voltage Contactors and Pre-Charge Circuit
How EV contactors and pre-charge connect the battery while limiting uncontrolled inrush current.
Battery
High-Voltage Interlock Loop (HVIL)
A low-voltage safety loop that detects opened or disconnected parts of an EV high-voltage system.
Battery
High-Voltage System
The high-voltage system carries traction and charging energy through an EV's main electrical components.
Battery
Insulation Monitoring
Monitoring that detects reduced electrical isolation between an EV high-voltage system and its chassis.
Battery
Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
The energy unit used for EV battery capacity and electricity consumption.
Battery
LFP Battery
A lithium-ion battery chemistry using a lithium iron phosphate cathode.
Battery
Lithium Plating
Metallic lithium deposited on the negative electrode during charging instead of entering the host material.
Battery
Lithium-Ion Battery
The rechargeable battery family used in most EVs, with electrode materials and cell designs that vary.
Battery
LMFP Battery
A lithium-ion cathode chemistry that adds manganese to LFP to raise operating voltage.
Battery
NCA Battery
A lithium-ion battery chemistry using a nickel-cobalt-aluminum cathode.
Battery
NMC Battery
A lithium-ion battery chemistry using nickel, manganese, and cobalt.
Battery
Nominal Cell and Pack Voltage
A representative cell or pack voltage; the actual value changes with charge state and operating conditions.
Battery
Pouch Cell
A battery cell sealed in flexible laminated packaging rather than a rigid metal can.
Battery
Power Density
Power delivered per unit volume; specific power is the related mass-based measure.
Battery
Prismatic Cell
A battery cell in a rigid rectangular case, using either wound or stacked electrodes.
Battery
Second-Life Battery
A used EV battery qualified for continued service after its first vehicle application.
Battery
Semi-Solid, Quasi-Solid, and Condensed Batteries
A guide to three overlapping battery labels that may still include liquid or gel electrolyte.
Battery
Separator
The porous insulating layer that keeps battery electrodes apart while allowing ions to pass.
Battery
Series and Parallel Cell Configuration
How series and parallel connections set pack voltage, capacity, current capability, and cell count.
Battery
Silicon and Silicon-Carbon Anodes
How silicon-rich and silicon-carbon anodes trade higher capacity against swelling and durability challenges.
Battery
Skateboard Platform
A skateboard platform places key EV components in a flat underfloor structure shared across vehicle bodies.
Battery
Sodium-Ion Battery
A rechargeable battery family that stores energy by moving sodium ions between its electrodes.
Battery
Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI)
A passivating reaction-product layer that forms where an electrode meets the electrolyte.
Battery
Solid-State Battery
A battery that uses a solid ion-conducting electrolyte instead of a conventional liquid electrolyte.
Battery
State of Charge (SoC)
The estimated percentage of an EV battery's usable energy that remains.
Battery
State of Energy (SoE)
An estimate of remaining available battery energy relative to a defined energy baseline.
Battery
State of Health (SoH)
A relative measure of battery condition against a defined new or reference state.
Battery
State of Power (SoP)
The battery power available for charging or discharge within defined operating limits and a stated time horizon.
Battery
Structural Battery Pack
A traction-battery pack engineered to carry vehicle loads as part of the body or chassis structure.
Battery
Thermal Runaway
A self-accelerating failure inside a battery cell that generates heat faster than it can escape.
Battery
Vampire Drain
Vampire drain is parked-battery energy used by standby systems, thermal control, or other background activity.