319. The Power of Model-Based Battery Engineering

In the interview, Gavin White explains how model‑based design transforms battery engineering. Traditional development relied on costly trial‑and‑error prototypes, but About Energy’s high‑fidelity multi‑physics simulations—grounded in precisely measured electrochemical and thermal parameters—reduce development cycles by up to 70%. By integrating these models into familiar engineering suites, automotive and aerospace teams can iterate virtually, validate designs early, and bring products to market faster while cutting material waste.

A second breakthrough is the Volt database, a centralized, third‑party‑verified repository of over a thousand commercial cell specifications. Engineers traditionally spend months testing samples to select the optimal cell; Volt compresses that timeline to days by offering comparable performance maps and independent benchmark data. This transparency forces manufacturers to meet higher standards and gives designers confidence when balancing cost, energy density, and power output across multiple departments—from procurement to system architecture.

The conversation also highlights the role of UK academia in seeding these innovations. Decades of research at Imperial College and the University of Birmingham provided the foundational IP that About Energy commercialized. Motorsports, where simulation is already entrenched, quickly adopted the technology, proving its value in extreme performance contexts. As more industries embrace model‑based battery design and open data platforms, the ecosystem will accelerate EV adoption, improve safety, and foster a new generation of engineers equipped to tackle complex energy challenges.