Here’s How The Range Rover Electric Will Use AI Algorithms To Maximize Range

The first all-electric Range Rover is approaching launch, and as it does, more details, including some pertaining to its battery management software, are being revealed. According to Autocar, the Range Rover Electric will use the Elysia suite of technologies created by WAE (formerly Williams Advanced Engineering) to unlock additional range. You may recall that last year, the UK-based engineering firm spawned from the Williams F1 team announced the Elysia package back in July 2023, claiming that it could reduce battery charging time by 25%. Now, the technology suite has found a home in the upcoming electric SUV, and the promises it holds are just as impressive.

How It Works

Think about a combustion-powered car with a turbocharger, such as a Honda Civic Type R, for example. This is a car that can take sustained abuse and still keep going reliably, which indicates that it is not pushing its own boundaries unnecessarily. As a result, aftermarket tuners are able to modify parameters like boost pressure, fuel delivery, and camshaft timing to unlock added performance while reducing the margins for error that the manufacturer has intentionally left wide. Elysia’s approach is similar but safer.

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According to Elysia Commercial Lead Joe Jones, typical EV software parameters do not fully explore the potential of an electric car’s hardware: “To protect the life of the battery, an electric car currently leaves the factory with a predetermined set of parameters that govern its performance, including how quickly it can be rapidly charged.” Elysia’s battery management software simply finds overlooked efficiencies, and there’s little risk of damage (as is often the case when enhancing the performance of an engine, for example). With artificial intelligence and six proprietary algorithms working to determine the battery’s health, the suite would never force faster charging if it would degrade the battery.

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Big Gains In Efficiency

Tim Engstrom, WAE’s technical lead for advanced batteries, told Autocar last year that automakers typically overestimate battery health to prevent drivers from getting stranded by surprise and that these buffers could safely be shrunk by Elysia technology. As a result, up to 10% more range and 30% longer battery life are claimed, along with the aforementioned reductions in fast charging times. Since these algorithms are always working, they can provide a more gradual decline in battery performance, too. “We can simulate all sorts of scenarios automatically to put this insight into something that we really understand, like the range of the vehicle in summer or winter, or the charge time, as that battery degrades,” said Engstrom. Over time, this technology may even unlock more potential for high-performance applications; the Range Rover Sport uses a BMW V8 now, but an electric version is in the cards, as may be a Defender EV.

Source: Autocar