Honeywell is researching AI to predict EV battery fires, tech could be market-ready by 2025

The technology in question will see the coming together of an AI use case along with a sensing suite that is programmed to track facets like off-gassing and changes in battery pressure, before feeding these findings into a data management system. Coupled with previous learnings, the AI is expected to predict thermal runaways and provide LIVE feedback to the user.

Today, EV customers bank on thermal detection technology that provides a smaller window or time frame to warn users of an impending EV battery fire. There is a slightly advanced technology that predicts an impending fire and works towards cooling down the EV battery. Honeywell's AI solution, on the other hand, is aimed at preventing the thermal incident altogether.

While it won't name names, Honeywell is in talks with Indian e-scooter manufacturers to supply the technology to the Indian market. The company said it is also in discussion with battery manufacturers. "There's direct work with the OEM and then there's direct work with battery manufacturers too," said Sarah, "Ultimately, OEMs always want to own the reference design so that they can platform it — that's just how the automotive industry works."

The Indian EV market could hold a massive opportunity for Honeywell. Despite the spate of EV fires in 2022, India sold 8.47 lakh electric two-wheelers in FY-23 according to the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV). The sales figure is 2.5x the 3.28 lakh e-scooters sold in the previous fiscal. However, it is still 25 percent short of the target set by organisations like Niti Ayog.

CNBC-TV18 recently reported that Honeywell is bullish about its prospects in the Indian Green Hydrogen market, as it hopes to supply catalyst-coated members (CCMs) to companies manufacturing hydrogen electrolysers. The company has already shipped its CCM samples to multiple countries, including India.

These CCMs could be crucial to India's green energy dreams, especially given the National Green Hydrogen Mission's target of five million metric tons of annual production. "We've been developing that technology for a few years now in our labs in Chicago, and working with our team in Gurugram," said Gavin Towler, Chief Scientist (Sustainability Technology) at Honeywell.

"We'd like to be the supplier of the chemistry technology to whoever manufactures the electrolysis plants, but we'll work with all the companies who are building electrolysers," he added.

Honeywell's plans will depend on factors like investments made by OEMs and energy majors, in battery manufacturing and hydrogen production. However, with sustainability goals getting loftier than before and with multiple industries hoping to achieve these goals ahead of schedule, the company is optimistic about its chances.