Description

Electric vehicle (EV) safety, efficiency, and lifetime are strongly influenced by how well battery cells are managed, and as EV adoption accelerates, improving battery performance has become critical to vehicle reliability, cost, and public trust. This report conducts a field study on the core technologies and challenges in Battery Management Systems (BMS), focusing on the classification of BMS circuit topologies (design/structures) and systematically reviewing different topologies of active cell balancing circuits (systems that move energy from stronger battery cells to weaker ones). The study provides a detailed analysis of the working principles, advantages, and disadvantages of various active balancing circuit topologies. Additionally, it elaborates on the key algorithms underpinning battery balancing. The report also examines the main challenges in designing these systems, including balancing efficiency, cost, reliability, and the ability to scale. It also highlights the difficulty of accurately understanding battery conditions and making real-time decisions as operating conditions change. The study also summarizes and reviews major breakthroughs in balancing algorithms within the field. By conducting comprehensive research on circuit topologies and core algorithms, this report informs the design and performance optimization of BMS, particularly active balancing systems. Addressing these challenges is essential to improving EV safety, reducing costs, and supporting the broader adoption of electric vehicles.

Publication Date

8-2026

Publication Type

Report

Topic

Transportation Technology

Digital Object Identifier

10.31979/mti.2026.2534

MTI Project

2534

Mineta Transportation Institute URL

https://transweb.sjsu.edu/research/2534-Automated-Battery-Management-Systems-Electric-Vehicles

Keywords

Battery management system, Active cell balancing

Disciplines

Electrical and Computer Engineering | Mechanical Engineering | Transportation

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