ION Energy Inc., Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, has entered into an agreement to supply battery management systems (BMS) to electric scooter startup, Ray Electric Motors, Barcelona, Spain, Financialexpress.com reports. Founded in 2019, the Barcelona-based startup recently launched its first smart electric scooter, the RAY 7.7. The e-scooter is powered by a 10.7 kW motor coupled to a 7.7 kWh battery. The fixed high-density lithium-ion battery promises to deliver a top speed of 125 km/h and a range of up to 150 km with fast charging support.
Other highlights of the 7.7 include a multifunction TFT instrument console, in-built navigation, anti-theft alarm, and smartphone connectivity. Keeping in mind the metropolitan regions of Europe, RAY also offers a provision to switch between multiple driving modes – city, sport, flow & reverse.
The vehicle is also capable of OTA updates for continuous improvements, thanks to the smart VCU and BMS powering it.
For the BMS, Ray Electric Motors was on the lookout for a credible partner with a proven technology that’s been tested and deployed in electric two-wheelers. Inherently, lithium-ion batteries are unstable and require dedicated management to prevent damage and degradation of the asset.
Battery Management Systems (BMS), also known as the “brain” of the battery, are responsible for the efficiency, safety, and longevity of lithium-ion batteries. The primary role of the BMS is to ensure the battery operates within its Safe Operating Area (or SOA) by continuously monitoring its current state and logging performance data in real-time. ION Energy’s “smart” FS-LT BMS delivers on both safety and performance, making it the perfect system to manage the RAY 7.7.
In addition to automotive-grade safety features, the FS-LT BMS is built with wireless smartphone connectivity and compatible with ION Energy’s proprietary cloud-based analytics platform. The platform will allow Ray Electric Motors to send over-the-air (OTA) updates to its scooters, continuously improving the life and performance of the asset.
In its first year, RAY will manufacture a limited set of 1000 vehicles and has plans to scale up to a minimum of 10000+ e-scooters by 2023. The company plans to target major metropolitan areas of Europe before expanding to the United States and other regions.