Introduction

The push toward electric heavy-duty fleets depends on batteries that can withstand thousands of charge-discharge cycles without significant degradation. Laser welding plays a critical role in connecting battery cells, but imperfect welds can shorten lifespan and compromise safety. A new simulation app aims to eliminate those risks by predicting weld performance before a pack ever leaves the factory.

What Happened

A consortium including Volvo Group Trucks Operations initiated a multiscale simulation project — known as LaserBATMAN — to optimize battery pack manufacturing. Using COMSOL Multiphysics, the team built an electrochemical cell model, trained a deep neural network to create a reduced-order model, and wrapped the entire workflow into a custom simulation app. The app allows engineers to input pack geometry, operating conditions, and weld parameters to predict battery lifetime performance without building physical prototypes.

Why This Matters

Battery lifetime remains the primary barrier to long-range electric trucks. Poorly executed laser welding can accelerate degradation, but when optimized, it enhances robustness and extends service life. The simulation app gives R&D teams a consistent, repeatable method to test weld scenarios, adjust busbar design, and evaluate cooling strategies — all without the cost and time of physical prototyping. This translates to faster market entry and more reliable vehicles for logistics and delivery operations.

Key Takeaways

  • The app was built by a Denmark-based engineering consultancy specializing in green energy and integrated with a leading multiphysics platform.
  • A dedicated “tool within a tool” button enables users to simulate busbar weld performance across multiple cycles and test variables such as weld shape, material thickness, and laser penetration depth.
  • Outputs include temperature profiles, state of charge, and SEI layer thickness, revealing degradation pathways at a glance.
  • By replacing iterative prototyping with virtual optimization, the technology supports longer-range fleets and reduces the total cost of battery ownership.

Conclusion

Simulation apps are reshaping how electric truck batteries are designed, tested, and optimized. By combining multiphysics modeling with intuitive interfaces, this approach demonstrates a clear path toward more robust, longer-lasting batteries that enable wider adoption of zero-emission heavy-duty transport.