Monolith and About:Energy partner to accelerate development of next-generation EV batteries

Gavin White, CEO and Co-Founder of About Energy, setting up battery test equipment to understand the processes that lead to ageing

Monolith, artificial intelligence (AI) software provider to the world’s leading engineering teams, has partnered with industry-leading battery technology innovator About:Energy to ease the growing pressure for more accurate and scalable electric vehicle (EV) battery modelling and testing.

Monolith and About:Energy, two of the UK’s leading EV technology start-ups, share a common vision for a dramatic reduction in EV development time, with the potential to speed up the R&D process by 12 to 18 months through AI-powered battery modelling.

To achieve this, engineers from both companies are working together to develop pre-trained AI models in the Monolith platform using precise, advanced battery data from About:Energy. Taking data from numerous batteries, these pre-trained models will enable more accurate, valuable predictions for battery degradation and thermal propagation – resulting in a lower number of tests, reduced testing costs, and improved battery performance and safety.

The integration of advanced, technologically driven testing and validation practices will enable vehicle manufacturers to obtain new, rich insights into the intractable physics of batteries – delivering higher-performing batteries in a significantly reduced timeframe. The immediate focus for the partnership is automotive, with the potential to roll out to other transport sectors such as micromobility and aerospace.

“Our partnership with About:Energy allows us to build more accurate models predicting battery degradation and thermal runaway, using the most robust and reliable battery test data available to engineers,” said Dr. Richard Ahlfeld, CEO and founder of Monolith. “Whether you are an automotive OEM looking for more comprehensive data, a battery manufacturer, or an EV start-up without test facilities, our pre-trained AI models promise to help optimise your battery validation test plans, and ultimately accelerate the availability of better EVs.”

“At About:Energy, we have developed technologies to obtain battery data of world-leading quality. This partnership with Monolith is a testament to our commitment to driving innovation and adding significant value to the industry and our customers,” said Gavin White, CEO and Co-Founder of About:Energy.

“We are always seeking innovative collaborations that help tackle the industry's toughest challenges. Working with Monolith gives industry the access to the best machine-learning talent and highest quality lab data in an easy-to-use software package,” he added.

Dr. Richard Ahlfeld and Gavin White will host a live demonstration webinar in late February, with details to be made public shortly.