Battery Range Extender with Green Planet is a Demonstration Climate Technologies and Innovations (DKTI) project in transport. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are seen as an important solution for the transition to emission-free mobility. This is especially true for lighter vehicles. Students and lecturers will work on this in a semester 6 setting!

Why this project?

One of the objectives of this project is to develop a relatively universal and affordable range extender based on the rapidly developing battery technology. This will give light commercial vehicles an acceptable range (the distance you can drive on one battery charge) of 250 to 350 kilometres instead of the current around 150 kilometres. The additional battery pack is suitable for fast charging: in a shorter charging time, the range can be further increased.

In a vehicle with range extender, the drive always remains electric, even during battery charging. So there is no connection between the combustion engine and the wheels.

What will the students do?

In the project, S6 students are working with Green Planet to realise a fast-charging environment with differentiated fast-charging tariffs: the faster – with higher power – you charge, the more you pay. For this payment, in addition to the current ‘closed loop payment method’, an ‘open loop payment method’ is being developed and implemented. This allows you to pay using payment methods such as debit card, credit card and fuel card. Always without subscription fees. This further removes barriers for SMEs.

What is taken into account?

In testing, proving and demonstrating innovative concepts and technologies for fast-charging vans and similar vehicles for target group transport, the wishes of drivers and vehicle owners and the energy system as a whole are taken into account. To this end, connections will be made between BEVs and FCEVs (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles), buildings, energy bank and the local power grid.

Ultimately, the ‘Connected Smart Fast Charging’ system is used to determine the flexibility needed by users and the opportunities for the owner to recoup his investment. Think of offering grid balancing services by making optimal use of the energy storage in the system.

Source: HAN Automotive Research, Koen Lau
Photography: Green Planet