Power Progress International | Safety in performance
10/01/2025 – Power Progress International
The growing share of electrified models in the industrial vehicle market now extends to larger machines with higher power. Delivering the increased power demand of models in this segment has been supported by a series of technology advances in lithium batteries and in particular high-voltage lithium batteries.
Looking at industrial and off-highway applications, low-voltage batteries are commonly defined as units up to 102,4V nominal. This despite regulations defining low-voltage batteries as 60V. High-voltage batteries start from 300V and can deliver in excess of 800V.
Flash Battery explained that the cost of a low-voltage battery is lower compared to a high-voltage solution because the components in the low-voltage models are easy to source and do not need the uprated components required to handle higher currents, such as dedicated connectors or safety devices.
A low voltage solution, though, simply cannot be adapted for use in a high-power system. This is due in large part to the output of the electric motor, which has a direct influence on the choice of voltage; in industrial and off-highway applications, motors above 20 or 30kW need a higher voltage to be compact and operate efficiently.
Flash Battery said that some OEMs are still skeptical when it comes to high-voltage solutions, often because they are concerned of the safety aspects. But it is important to underline how high-voltage batteries require stringent safety measures and protocols to ensure both operator safety and system reliability.
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