Designing Electric Vehicle Batteries: A Professional Training Course
1Summary
Range anxiety, charging speed and sticker price are the three factors that most often decide whether a buyer chooses an electric vehicle — and all three trace back to a single component: the battery. Designing that battery well means balancing electrical engineering, chemistry and materials science against real constraints of energy density, thermal behaviour, charging speed and safety.
Arab British Fellowship Training Academy built this course to take participants inside that balancing act. Rather than treating EV batteries as a black box, it breaks down the chemistry, the components and the engineering decisions that separate a competitive battery pack from an underperforming one, drawing on current industry practice and emerging trends.
2Objectives and target group
By the End of This Programme, You Will Be Able To
- Explain the core principles and technologies behind EV batteries.
- Identify the factors that shape battery design, including energy density, efficiency and safety.
- Describe the latest materials and technologies used across EV battery systems.
- Evaluate thermal management techniques and their effect on battery life and performance.
- Design and optimise battery systems against performance, cost and safety standards, in line with industry best practice and regulation.
Target Audience
- Electrical engineers in automotive or energy sectors looking to specialise in EV technology.
- Battery design engineers expanding their knowledge of EV battery systems.
- Product development professionals from automotive companies, research institutions and battery manufacturers.
- Students and researchers focused on renewable energy, electric mobility and battery technology.
- Sustainability professionals aiming to understand the technology behind EV systems and contribute to green energy initiatives.
3Course Content
Module 1: What Makes or Breaks an EV – The Battery's Central Role
- Why the battery defines an EV's performance, efficiency and cost.
- How electric vehicles and battery technology have evolved together.
- Battery Electric Vehicles, Plug-in Hybrids and Hybrid Electric Vehicles compared.
Module 2: How Batteries Actually Work
- How batteries store and release electrical energy.
- Electrochemical processes inside rechargeable batteries.
- Voltage, capacity and energy density explained.
Module 3: Anatomy of an EV Battery – Cells, Packs and BMS
- Battery cells, modules and packs.
- The role of the Battery Management System (BMS).
- Charging interfaces and connectors.
Module 4: Battery Chemistries Compared – Li-ion, NiMH, Solid-State and Beyond
- Lithium-ion batteries: composition and working principles.
- Nickel-metal hydride and solid-state batteries as alternatives.
- Emerging chemistries: sodium-ion and lithium-sulfur.
Module 5: Electrode and Electrolyte Materials
- Anode and cathode materials, such as graphite and lithium cobalt oxide.
- Liquid versus solid-state electrolytes.
- The role of conductive additives and separators.
Module 6: Balancing Performance, Safety and Cost in Material Selection
- Trade-offs between performance (energy density, charge time) and safety (thermal stability, short-circuit risk).
- How material choice affects battery life and cost.
- Recycling and sustainability of battery materials.
Module 7: Energy Density, Power Density and Battery Lifecycle
- Defining energy density and power density, and why both matter.
- The relationship between charging cycles and battery degradation.
- Extending battery life through design and usage patterns.
Module 8: Charging Behaviour and Thermal Management
- How charging rates affect performance and the discharge curve.
- Fast charging versus slow charging and their effect on longevity.
- Passive and active cooling systems for controlling battery temperature.
Module 9: Safety Mechanisms and Temperature Resilience
- Preventing short circuits, thermal runaway and overcharging.
- Protection circuits, safety protocols and the BMS's role in safety.
- How extreme temperatures affect efficiency and lifespan, and how systems are tested for it.
Module 10: Battery Management Systems in Practice
- How the BMS manages charge, discharge and state of health (SOH).
- Cell balancing for optimal performance.
- Communication between the BMS and the vehicle's control system.
Module 11: Pack Design, Integration and What Comes Next
- Design considerations for integrating cells into complete packs.
- Optimising space, weight, cost and safety in pack assembly.
- Emerging directions: solid-state batteries, battery swapping and EV batteries' future role in grid storage.