Engineering course
Battery Technology Academy
An engineering-level course on EV batteries — chemistry, pack architecture, management electronics, thermal design and the whole life cycle from first charge to recycling. Built around an eight-view battery explorer, ion and charging simulators and nine engineering calculators.
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- Eight-view interactive battery explorer
- Ion movement and charging simulators
- Degradation modelling over twenty years
- Nine engineering calculators
What you will learn
- Explain how a lithium-ion cell stores and releases energy
- Compare cathode and anode chemistries on real engineering criteria
- Read a pack architecture and identify every major component
- Describe what a battery management system measures and enforces
- Predict how usage patterns affect state of health over years
- Understand second life, recycling and battery economics
Course content
Module 1
Cell chemistry
How cells work and why chemistries differ.
6 lessons
- How a lithium-ion cell worksIons in the electrolyte, electrons in the wire — the whole story in one diagram. 12 min
- NMC, LFP, NCA and LMFPWhy manufacturers pick different cathodes for different cars. 11 min
- Graphite, silicon and lithium metal anodesWhere the next big energy-density gains are coming from. 10 min
- Voltage, capacity, C-rate and energyThe four numbers that describe any cell, and how they connect. 9 min
- Energy cells versus power cellsWhy a long-range saloon and a hot hatch use different cells at the same chemistry. 8 min
- Solid-state and next-generation chemistriesSodium-ion, solid electrolytes and what is genuinely close to production. 10 min
Module 2
Pack architecture
Cells, modules, formats and structural packs.
6 lessons
- Guided tour of a battery packEight views, ten components, every failure mode — the flagship explorer. 15 min
- Cylindrical, prismatic and pouchFormat decides cooling, packaging efficiency, cost and repairability. 10 min
- Modules, cell-to-pack and structural packsHow manufacturers deleted the module to win back volume and mass. 11 min
- 400 V and 800 V architecturesWhy doubling voltage halves current, and what it costs. 10 min
- Mechanical design and crash protectionSills, cross-members, intrusion limits and the sealed enclosure. 9 min
- Cross-section walkthroughLayer by layer, from road surface to cabin floor. 8 min
Module 3
Battery management
Measurement, estimation, balancing and safety.
6 lessons
- What a battery management system actually doesMeasurement, estimation, protection and communication. 11 min
- Estimating state of chargeCoulomb counting, open-circuit voltage and why LFP is hard. 10 min
- Cell balancingPassive bleed, active transfer, and why one weak cell caps the pack. 9 min
- State of health and capacity fadeWhat SOH means, how it is measured, and what warranties promise. 10 min
- High-voltage safety systemsInterlocks, isolation monitoring, pyro fuses and crash shutdown. 10 min
- Diagnostics, logging and fault codesReading what the pack has been through. 9 min
Module 4
Thermal and safety
Cooling, preconditioning and thermal runaway.
6 lessons
- Why temperature rules everythingThe narrow window where a lithium cell is happy. 9 min
- Air, liquid and refrigerant coolingThree approaches, and why liquid won. 10 min
- Preconditioning and heat pumpsWarming the pack before a rapid charge, and reusing waste heat. 9 min
- Thermal runaway and propagationWhat actually happens, and how packs are designed to contain it. 11 min
- Heat generation during fast chargingI²R losses, entropic heat and why the curve tapers. 10 min
- Climate, parking and long-term storageProtecting a pack when the car is not being used. 8 min
Module 5
Life cycle
Degradation, warranties, second life and recycling.
6 lessons
- How batteries ageCalendar ageing, cycle ageing and the mechanisms behind both. 11 min
- Charging habits that extend pack lifeEvidence-based advice, and the myths worth ignoring. 9 min
- Warranties, certification and health testingWhat manufacturers guarantee and how independent tests measure it. 9 min
- Second-life batteriesWhat happens when a pack is no longer good enough for a car. 9 min
- Recycling and material recoveryPyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and direct recycling. 10 min
- Battery economics and total costCost per kWh, replacement risk and residual values. 10 min