Johnson Matthey Battery Systems, part of the

Johnson Matthey Johnson Matthey plc is a British multinational speciality chemicals and sustainable technologies company headquartered in London, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History Early year ...

group and formerly called Axeon, designs and manufactures advanced

lithium-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible Intercalation (chemistry), intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically Electrical conductor, conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are c ...

battery systems for

electric vehicles An electric vehicle (EV) is a motor vehicle whose propulsion is powered fully or mostly by electricity. EVs encompass a wide range of transportation modes, including road vehicle, road and rail vehicles, electric boats and Submersible, submer ...

and processes over 70 million cells per year. Headquartered in Dundee, Scotland and with operations in Poland and sales offices in Coventry, England, Johnson Matthey Battery Systems produces batteries for all types of

including urban

delivery vehicle Delivery is the process of transporting goods from a source location to a predefined destination. Cargo (physical goods) is primarily delivered via roads and Rail transport, railroads on land, shipping lanes on the sea, and airline network ...

s and high performance

sports cars A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1910s and ar ...

History

In 2006, Axeon, as a software company, began working with MPower, a manufacturer producing batteries for mobile phones and portable products. MPower was working on a battery to be used in

electric vehicle An electric vehicle (EV) is a motor vehicle whose propulsion is powered fully or mostly by electricity. EVs encompass a wide range of transportation modes, including road vehicle, road and rail vehicles, electric boats and Submersible, submer ...

s and the

Battery Management System A battery management system (BMS) is any electronic system that manages a rechargeable battery (cell or battery pack) by facilitating the safe usage and a long life of the battery in practical scenarios while monitoring and estimating its various s ...

, the software that monitors the

cells Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life * Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network * Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization * Electrochemical cell, a d ...

, interfaces with the vehicle and ensures safety, was provided by Axeon. In 2007, Axeon merged with MPower. In 2008, Axeon acquired Ristma AG, a Swiss holding company whose constituent companies also had several decades of experience in battery design and manufacture. The trading companies, formerly EMB GmbH and SAT AG, design and sell battery packs for the professional power tool market and

Robert Bosch GmbH Robert Bosch GmbH (; ), commonly known as Bosch (styled BOSCH), is a German multinational engineering and technology company headquartered in Gerlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company was founded by Robert Bosch in Stuttgart in 188 ...

is a key customer. They also manufacture battery packs for a range of mobile applications, including medical and industrial monitoring equipment, and leisure equipment such as

electric bicycles An electric bicycle, e-bike, electrically assisted pedal cycle, or electrically power assisted cycle is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fa ...

and powered golf trolleys. Manufacturing is carried out at a facility in Poland, formerly MAZ Sp.Z.o.o. In 2009 Axeon was forced into administration by its major lender and 20% shareholder Ironshield Capital Management LLP with no notice and following its assurance of continued support and that Axeon's future was bright. Ironshield appointed Grant Thornton who failed to find a buyer after they "discreetly marketed" the company. Almost immediately Ironshield formed a new vehicle "AG Holdings" which acquired Axeon outright allowing Axeon to continue in business as normal, excepting the shareholders who were wiped out through the move. Following its acquisition AG Holdings reported that Axeon had a very bright future. In October 2012 Axeon was acquired in total by

, a British multinational chemicals and precious metals company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the

FTSE 100 Index The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index, also called the FTSE 100 Index, FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the "Footsie" , is the United Kingdom's best-known stock market index of the 100 most highly capitalised blue chips listed on ...

. Axeon rebranded as Johnson Matthey Battery Systems in August 2013. In January 2018, Johnson Matthey Battery Systems was acquired by Cummins.

Automotive

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Johnson Matthey Battery Systems has worked with

McLaren Automotive McLaren Automotive ( ; formerly known as McLaren Cars) is a British luxury Automotive industry, automotive Manufacturing, manufacturer based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The main products of the company are sports cars, ...

to develop an advanced lithium-ion battery for the

McLaren P1 The McLaren P1 (codenamed P12) is a flagship sports car produced by British marque McLaren Automotive. Styled by American car designer Frank Stephenson, it is the second installment in McLaren's Ultimate Series after the McLaren F1. Considered ...

, a limited production plug-in hybrid supercar. Power for the vehicle's electric motor is stored in a 324-cell lithium-ion high density battery pack located behind the cabin. The battery pack is liquid-cooled and the

incorporates active cell balancing.

Range-extended electric hybrid vehicles

Jaguar Land Rover displayed the ultra-low carbon XJ_e plug-in hybrid engineering research vehicle at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2012. This was the outcome of a project led by

Jaguar Cars Jaguar (, ) is the sports car and luxury vehicle brand of Jaguar Land Rover, a British multinational corporation, multinational automaker, car manufacturer with its headquarters in Whitley, Coventry, England. Jaguar Cars was the company that ...

to develop a range-extended electric hybrid vehicle, and is powered by an Axeon lithium-ion battery. In October 2011 Axeon announced that it would also supply two prototype batteries to Intelligent Energy for a UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB)-grant-assisted project to develop a concept for a lightweight, low emissions, range extended electric delivery van. This vehicle was launched in June 2012.

Electric vehicles

At the 2011

Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show was an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show was hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon was organised b ...

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker that has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW, BMW AG since 2003 – as the exclusive manufacturer of ''Rolls-Royce''-branded motor cars. The company's administra ...

unveiled its new 102EX Phantom Experimental Electric, which is powered by a battery from Axeon. The battery system is believed to be the biggest passenger car battery built in the world, both in terms of capacity and power, with 71kWh overall capacity and 388V DC nominal power. The power pack is expected to deliver a range of up to 200 km with a 0-60 mph acceleration time of under 8 seconds. The batteries can be recharged via a plug in cable or in eight hours by using a wireless induction charging system. At Indaba 2011, one of Africa's largest tourism events,

Land Rover Land Rover is a brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR builds Land Rovers in Brazil ...

South Africa unveiled the Electric Defender Game Viewer Concept with an Axeon battery pack. The vehicle was built for the

Londolozi Private Game Reserve Londolozi Private Game Reserve is a large game reserve, with 15 000 hectares (150 km2); 42 000 acres; 58 sq mi) of land in northeastern South Africa. This means 1 bed per 167 hectares of land. Londolozi Rangers are not bound by Kruger Park rules ...

, a major South African game park. The standard 2.4-litre diesel engine from the Defender was replaced by an electric motor and 28.8 kWh battery pack in the engine bay, which enables the vehicle to maintain its original ground clearance and wading height.

Power tools

Johnson Matthey Battery Systems supplies

battery technology for

cordless The term cordless is generally used to refer to electrical or electronic devices that are powered by a battery (electricity), battery or battery pack and can operate without a power cord or cable attached to an electrical outlet to provide mains ...

power tools A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air ...

, such as

hedge trimmer A hedge trimmer, shrub trimmer, or bush trimmer is a gardening tool or machine used for trimming (cutting, pruning) hedges or solitary shrubs (bushes). Different designs as well as manual and powered versions of hedge trimmers exist. Hedge trimm ...

s and

lawn mowers A lawn mower (also known as a grass cutter or simply mower, also often spelled lawnmower) is a device utilizing one or more revolving blades (or a reel) to cut a grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the ...

. Its customers include several major producers of professional

, including

Electric bikes

Johnson Matthey Battery Systems supplies rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to several

electric bike An electric bicycle, e-bike, electrically assisted pedal cycle, or electrically power assisted cycle is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fa ...

projects for both major component manufacturers and bike OEMs, manufacturing e-bike batteries using various cells from a range of cell manufacturers.

Mobile power

Johnson Matthey Battery Systems produces mobile batteries that mean devices are able to run without a connection to mains electricity. Applications include

mobile phones A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

cordless phones A cordless telephone or portable telephone has a portable telephone handset that connects by radio to a base station connected to the public telephone network. The operational range is limited, usually to the same building or within some short ...

pagers A pager, also known as a beeper or bleeper, is a wireless telecommunications device that receives and displays alphanumeric or voice messages. One-way pagers can only receive messages, while response pagers and two-way pagers can also acknow ...

; medical devices such as diagnostic equipment and infusion pumps;

mobility aid A mobility aid is a device designed to assist individuals with impaired movement. These devices help people walk, maintain balance, or get around more easily. Mobility aids include walking supports like canes, crutches, and walkers for those w ...

s such as bath lifts and electric wheelchairs; industrial equipment such as

gas meter A gas meter is a specialized flow meter, used to measure the volume of fuel gases such as natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. Gas meters are used at residential, commercial, and industrial buildings that consume fuel gas supplied by a g ...

s and

data loggers A data logger (also datalogger or data recorder) is an electronic device that records data over time or about location either with a built-in instrument or sensor or via external instruments and sensors. Increasingly, but not entirely, they a ...

; leisure products such as

and powered golf trolleys and other applications such as portable credit card readers,

forklift trucks A forklift (also called industrial truck, lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck) is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th c ...

, horse massage blankets and olive tree shakers.

Technology

Cells

Johnson Matthey Battery Systems is independent of cell suppliers, allowing the company to deploy a range of cell chemistry for its automotive products. Currently, it works mainly with

Lithium Iron Phosphate Lithium iron phosphate or lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a gray, red-grey, brown or black solid that is insoluble in water. The material has attracted attention as a component of lithium iron phosp ...

and Lithium NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese) chemistries. It is also working on a project to develop a high energy density

Transition metal oxide An oxide () is a chemical compound containing at least one oxygen atom and one other element in its chemical formula. "Oxide" itself is the dianion (anion bearing a net charge of −2) of oxygen, an O2− ion with oxygen in the oxidation state o ...

/Silicon alloy battery for

PHEV A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable electric-vehicle battery, battery pack that can be directly replenished via a power cord, charging cable plugg ...

(

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be directly replenished via a charging cable plugged into an external electric power s ...

) applications.

Battery management systems

The

battery management system A battery management system (BMS) is any electronic system that manages a rechargeable battery (cell or battery pack) by facilitating the safe usage and a long life of the battery in practical scenarios while monitoring and estimating its various s ...

(BMS) is an essential component within a multiple cell

battery pack A battery pack is a set of any number of (preferably) identical Battery (electricity), batteries or individual battery cells. They may be configured in a series, parallel or a mixture of both to deliver the desired voltage and current. The term ' ...

. It monitors the state of a battery, measuring and controlling key operational parameters, and thus ensuring safety. Johnson Matthey Battery Systems’ BMS incorporates proprietary battery management electronics, and its four main objectives are to protect the cells and the battery from damage, prolong the life of the battery, maintain the battery in a state where it can meet the requirements of the application and to interface with the host application.

Batteries

Johnson Matthey Battery Systems designs and manufactures batteries for a wide range of applications, from low-power, low-capacity batteries for industrial, leisure and medical uses, to high-power, high-capacity batteries for use in

and

hybrid electric vehicles A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that couples a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) with one or more electric engines into a combined propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain, which has i ...

. Johnson Matthey Battery Systems produces a range of batteries from as little as 1 or 2 watts up to 180 kWhr, and from 2.4 Volts to 614 Volts. Johnson Matthey Battery Systems'

s are subjected to a testing regime that meets industry standards. This covers environmental tests,

electromagnetic testing Electromagnetic testing (ET), as a form of nondestructive testing, is the process of inducing electric currents or magnetic fields or both inside a test object and observing the electromagnetism, electromagnetic response. If the test is set up prope ...

, bump and vibration testing.

Battery chargers

Johnson Matthey Battery Systems can supply both off-board and on-board

battery charger A battery charger, recharger, or simply charger, is a device that stores energy in an electric battery by running current through it. The charging protocol—how much voltage and current, for how long and what to do when charging is complete� ...

s, which include an enclosure, the mains input wiring and safety circuits, as well as the umbilical cabling, and can also arrange them to be

CE mark The presence of the logo on Product (business), commercial products indicates that the Manufacturing, manufacturer or importer affirms the goods' conformity with European Environment, health and safety, health, safety, and environmental prote ...

approved.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.axeon.com Electric vehicle battery manufacturers Companies based in Dundee