Clarios, maker of one out of every three vehicle batteries globally, fashions itself as much more than a manufacturer. The Milwaukee-based company, which has been rapidly expanding its commercial and passenger-car product offerings with various battery chemistries and architectures across the voltage spectrum, is now delving into the business of artificial intelligence and integrating intelligent battery functions into actionable data for fleet managers.
Dubbed Clarios Connected Services and geared specifically for the commercial vehicle market, the system links real-time battery health monitoring with commercial vehicle telematics system to provide measurable insight and lower operational costs for vehicles on the road.
The first function of Clarios Connected Services to come to market will be idling reduction technology for trucks not spec’d with auxiliary power units. The system uses machine learning and AI algorithms to eliminate a driver’s guesswork and accurately determine when the battery needs charging. “Starting the diesel engine to charge the battery is very costly because you burn diesel fuel and create CO2 emissions,” said Federico Morales-Zimmermann, vice president & general manager, global OEM customers, products and engineering at Clarios. “A lot of times the drivers are starting the engines because they are afraid they are going to run out of power.”
Morales-Zimmerman claims early testing and studies have demonstrated a 40 percent reduction in unnecessary idling time and 2,500-kg reduction of CO2 per truck per year, adding up to roughly $1,300 in annual savings per truck. The technology is currently in operation with a European truck fleet.
The second function of Clarios Connected Services builds upon the company’s Smart AGM program and provides predictive maintenance reporting to reduce battery-related roadside events and lower battery replacement costs. The system measures battery performance at the cell level to proactively monitor overall battery health.
Clarios also announced it has inked a deal with a major automotive manufacturer to supply its advanced Supercapacitors in 12V and 48V vehicle architecture for passenger cars. Designed to store and dispense bursts of high power when used with AGM (absorbent glass mat) batteries, the Supercapacitors provide power stabilization, fuel efficiency improvements through regenerative braking and safety redundancies and are suitable for functions like steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire.
This enhanced system solution delivers on-demand power in any circumstance, which is especially critical for functional safety features and capable of providing a short burst of power in chassis systems to keep the vehicle level when cornering at high speeds.
Clarios is rolling out its Supercapacitor system to passenger cars starting in 2027, but it has plans to bring the advancements into the commercial market. “All this technology will eventually evolve into the commercial vehicle space as [CVs] become more complex from power perspective, with more infotainment features and content requiring more power consumption.”
