Batteries are essential for sustainability, green transportation, clean energy, and carbon neutrality. The battery market is projected to reach EUR 250 billion by 2025, making it increasingly strategic globally.

To address the significance of battery development and manufacturing in the EU, the European Parliament passed the “EU Battery and Waste Battery Regulation” (EU) 2023/1542, also known as the “EU New Battery Regulation.” Effective from February 18, 2024, this regulation applies to all batteries entering the EU market, including those produced locally. It covers five battery categories: Portable Batteries, Light Means of Transportation (LMT) Batteries, Electric Vehicle (EV) Batteries, Starting, Lighting & Ignition (SLI) Batteries, and Industrial Batteries. From July 1, 2024, only rechargeable industrial and EV batteries with a carbon footprint declaration will be allowed on the market.

The New Battery Regulation requires companies to adapt quickly to avoid penalties and missed market opportunities. Battery companies must understand regulatory requirements, stay up to date on legislation and standards, and develop compliant BMS solutions while ensuring supply chain compliance.

The New Battery Regulation covers areas such as restricted substances, carbon footprint, recycled materials, battery management, performance and durability requirements, safety, battery labeling, BMS monitoring of battery health, due diligence by battery operators, and the introduction of a “Battery Passport.” It addresses the entire battery lifecycle, from production to recycling, with mandatory implementation over time.

In 2027, the “Battery Passport” and “Industrial Battery Electrochemical Durability Parameters” will significantly impact BMS product design and usage. This includes the requirement for rechargeable industrial and EV batteries greater than 2 kWh to include a BMS that monitors battery health and expected lifespan, with data integrated into the “Battery Passport.” Key data points include:

• Remaining Capacity
• Overall Capacity Degradation
• Remaining Power Capacity and Power Degradation
• Remaining Cycle Efficiency
• Actual Heat Dissipation Requirements
• Self-Discharge Rate Evolution
• Ohmic Resistance and/or Electrochemical Impedance
• Battery Production and Commissioning Dates
• Energy and Capacity

These requirements will create technical barriers in the battery market, and companies aiming to thrive there must overcome them.

As a leading provider of logic and analog components, Nuvoton has extensive experience in battery management AFE products. With multiple technology iterations, Nuvoton offers products that help customers comply with the New Battery Regulation.

For example, regarding the “Ohmic Resistance and/or Electrochemical Impedance (EIS)” requirement, Nuvoton's fourth-generation BMS monitoring chips (which measure Ohmic impedance) and fifth-generation BMS monitoring chips (featuring embedded EIS measurement technology) address these needs.

Battery internal resistance is a critical parameter for accurately estimating the State of Health (SOH) of a battery. Typically, the higher the internal resistance, the greater the degree of battery degradation. The impedance of a battery cell can theoretically be calculated using Ohm’s law.

However, since the equivalent model of a battery cell is not purely resistive, fast voltage-current synchronization is required for accurate estimation. Otherwise, impedance estimates can result in significant deviations.

Nuvoton’s fourth-generation BMS monitoring chips, KA84950UA and KA84930UA, offer the industry’s fastest 10 μs synchronization time, ensuring precise impedance estimation.

Considering the second-order equivalent model of battery cells, EIS is a more precise impedance measurement method.

At the 2024 Electronica China, Nuvoton unveiled its fifth-generation AFE products with embedded EIS technology. These products enable multi-channel measurement of battery cell voltage (V), temperature (I), and impedance (Z) on a single chip. They also feature prior-generation AFE attributes, such as SOI high-voltage isolation, a fully redundant measurement system, and ASIL-D functional safety compliance, with an official market launch planned for 2025. This will be the industry’s first multi-channel AFE product with embedded EIS technology, aligning with the implementation of the New Battery Regulation.

Due to space limitations, this article cannot comprehensively list all the details regarding how Nuvoton's BMS monitoring chips support compliance with the EU New Battery Regulation. Nuvoton welcomes further discussions with customers on the application and product needs of its fourth and fifth-generation BMS monitoring chips in response to the New Battery Regulation and looks forward to assisting customers with future market challenges. For more information, please visit Nuvoton's official website (www.nuvoton.com) and contact Nuvoton personnel.