Battery Fires Are Bad. But There’s a Solution Coming
The Problem of Battery Fires
Battery fires are a serious concern for electric vehicle manufacturers, grid-scale storage operators, and consumers alike. Just ask LG, GM, Tesla, Volkswagen, or any of the hundreds of people whose e-bikes have caught fire. While fires caused by EVs are a relative rarity compared with fossil fuel vehicles, that doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous.
The Potential for Fires to Increase
As adoption grows, so does the potential for fires. Batteries will be everywhere in the next couple decades, reshaping everything from cars and trucks to toys, home furnishings, and more – all things that people interact with on a daily basis. The increased risk of fires could be mitigated by monitoring batteries in real-time.
The Power of Data
Batteries are going to be generating heaps of data. ‘Every lithium-ion battery is an IoT device,’ Accure co-founder and CEO Kai-Philipp Kairies told TechCrunch+. ‘All of these batteries are generating heaps of data.’ This data gives us a window into how they’re operating, allowing us to predict when they’ll go haywire.
Accure’s Solution
Kai-Philipp Kairies and his co-founders started Accure with an eye toward minimizing battery fires. The team creates a digital twin of the batteries it monitors, starting with models based on the physical properties of the specific chemistry and construction and blending in artificial intelligence to aid in predictions.
"We’re using the sensors and we’re dissecting the signals into what are the underlying properties causing the signals," Kairies said. "Then we use prediction mechanisms for the underlying behaviors. And from there, we can use a model again to say, what is this leading toward?"
Accure’s models have been able to correctly predict thermal runaway in batteries days and weeks before it happens. While no system can guarantee 100% accuracy, Accure can substantially reduce the fire risk of a battery.
A New Round of Funding
The company announced Tuesday that it has raised $7.2 million in a Series A2 led by Blue Bear Capital and HSBC Asset Management with participation from Riverstone Holdings and Capnamic Ventures. This funding will help Accure continue to develop its predictive models and expand its customer base.
Reducing the Fire Risk
Accure collects data from partners whose batteries are already cloud connected. Today, that means working with companies like electric vehicle manufacturers and grid-scale storage operators. By monitoring batteries in real-time, Accure can identify potential problems before they become major issues.
"We’re not just a sensor company," Kairies said. "We’re using AI to interpret the data from those sensors and predict what’s going to happen next."
The Future of Battery Management
Accure is well-positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for battery management solutions. By collecting and analyzing data on batteries, Accure can help companies reduce their fire risk and improve overall efficiency.
Whether Accure possesses an unfair advantage today remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the company is at the very least in the right place at the right time.
A New Era of Battery Management
As the world becomes increasingly reliant on batteries, it’s more important than ever that we find ways to manage them safely and efficiently. Accure’s predictive models are a step in the right direction, and the company’s new funding will help it continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible.
A Message from the Author
As a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that battery fires can have on companies and communities. That’s why I’m so excited about Accure’s solution – it has the potential to reduce the fire risk associated with batteries and improve overall efficiency.
As we move forward into this new era of battery management, it’s crucial that we prioritize safety and innovation. With Accure leading the way, I’m confident that we’ll see a significant reduction in battery fires and a major improvement in overall performance.
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