Automotive ESSENTIALS

TÜV SÜD and AVILOO offer tests for traction batteries

The used car market for electric cars is picking up speed. The vehicles are more stable in value than combustion engines, and currently rising fuel prices are causing more and more motorists to consider switching to electric drive. The focus is on the battery. After all, it accounts for up to 50 percent of the total value of an electric vehicle. When buying a used car, it is therefore even more important to have precise information about the current condition of the battery. In cooperation with the Austrian company AVILOO, TÜV SÜD has been offering so-called State-of-Health (SoH) tests for the first time since April. The test of the traction battery is easy to handle for everyone and provides detailed information on the current condition of the battery and thus clear indications for the vehicle value.

The SoH test, which TÜV SÜD offers with AVILOO, shows how we are working at full speed on new test methods to support the battery electric vehicle (BEV/PHEV) market. The evaluation of the battery condition is an important contribution to the valuation and thus serves both - the buyer as well as the seller. AVILOO's expertise in battery diagnostics and TÜV SÜD's many years of experience in the assessment of used vehicles and management processes are incorporated into the sales cooperation. With the battery condition assessment, TÜV SÜD is making a contribution to greater sustainability in mobility and is thus also an important building block in our sustainability strategy as a whole.

How the State-of-Health (SoH) Test works

Driving behavior, charging cycles, age - these are factors that influence the condition of batteries. According to TÜV SÜD's battery experts, traction batteries are much more durable than some people expect. Nevertheless, usage behavior in particular leaves its mark. The AVILOO certification provides clarity here. To perform the test, a diagnostic device - the AVILOO box - is connected to the vehicle's OBD interface. The device then collects data from the battery management system during subsequent edaily drives, which is informative about the condition of the battery. Based on these parameters, the current state of the battery is then determined. The user is guided through the test using a dedicated web app and receives simple driving instructions. During the test drives, the diagnostic device sends the data to the AVILOO Battery Cloud for evaluation. Within two working days, the user receives a certificate by mail that gives a percentage indication of the battery's condition based on the evaluated data. Overall, the measurements are intended to provide more transparency - an objective basis for the current condition of the drive battery.

AVILOO is one of the first companies internationally to offer a comprehensive diagnostic procedure for the traction batteries of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. It was developed on the basis of intensive research work. Traction batteries are chemical energy storage devices that are subject to a natural aging process due to load and lose their storage capacity over life time. Likewise, usage behavior such as permanent driving in the upper power range or frequent charging with high charging powers can lead to faster battery aging.

TÜV SÜD is offering the AVILOO battery test in Germany since April at its service center at the Group's headquarters in Munich, Eichstätter Str. and since June at 15 further locations in Baden Wuerttemberg. Customers can pick up the AVILOO box there after ordering it online at www.aviloo.com/tuvsud. TÜV SÜD's on-site experts provide assistance in plugging it into the OBD interface.