GM Buys Software Startup To Curb EV Battery Failures

General Motors is keen onkeeping its internal combustion engine(冰)阵容活着mid the industry's shift to favoring electric vehicles (EVs). But that doesn't stop the Michigan-based car manufacturer from bolstering its EV program.

GM announced that it has substantially acquired all of ALGOLiON Ltd's assets for an undisclosed sum. The newly-formed Technology Acceleration and Commercialization (TAC) organization led the acquisition, a group within GM that aims to develop the brand's battery technology.

ALGOLiON is an Israel-based battery software startup founded in 2014 by Niles Fleischer, Ph.D., and Alex Nimberger, Ph.D. The company has developed software that should help GM improve the battery management systems of its EVs.

This software identifies anomalies in cell performance, ensuring proper vehicle health management and early detection of battery hazards.

One of these hazards is a thermal runaway, a chain reaction within a battery cell that can be difficult to stop. This is why EV fires are hard to put out. Last year, firefighters even had todrown a Tesla Model Sin a pit they dug to extinguish the battery fire.

Aside from the software's safety factor, the partnership also looks to bring cost-effectiveness to the table. After all, the company reportedly hasa hard time making a profitoff its EV program, even for relatively affordable all-electric models priced between $30,000 and $40,000.