On June 30, General Motors said it had acquired Algolion, an Israel-based software startup that can detect potential hazards in battery cells.
The automaker disclaimed that Algolion’s six employees, including the company’s founders, will remain based in Israel and join more than 850 employees at the GM Technical Center in Herzliya, Israel.
Algolion has developed an especially vital software for automakers attempting to scale EVs. Niles Fleischer and Alex Nimberger launched the nine-year-old firm, which developed software that uses data streams from EV battery management systems to help identify abnormalities in cell performance. Additionally, the software can help detect battery hazards, such as thermal runaway propagation events, meaning the cell catches fire and spreads.
Although GM said the software could spot even the most minor changes affecting battery health in other methods weeks earlier, the automaker issued two recalls for thousands of Chevrolet Bolt EVs due to battery fire risk.
However, GM handed out replacement battery modules to dealers so that owners of recalled Chevy Bolts may exchange their old modules for new ones.
The acquisition was made possible by a brand-new unit that the automaker created with GM to look into cutting-edge battery technology. The newly formed organization, the Technology Acceleration and Commercialization division, does more than look for possible acquisition targets. In order to strengthen GM’s position in battery development, it actively searches for collaborations and investment opportunities.
