Einhell Power X-Change - the innovative Master Battery system (Dr. Markus Thannhuber)

Hello, in this episode, I would like to tell you about the Einhell battery and equipment platform for garden and power tools. My name is Dr. Markus Thannhuber. I am a member of the Executive Board with responsibility for in-house production development and part of my role is technology-driven innovation. I would like to show you how Power X-Change completely eliminates the need of power cables on high-performance tools and garden equipment. To make this possible, we supply high-performance Li-ion rechargeable batteries featuring high energy density, continuous current output under load and outstanding peak power performance. A new battery management system operating under microprocessor control regulates the supply of power to the equipment, and it also has a number of other new and innovative features. We are convinced that the new Active Battery Management System (ABS) sets new standards in Li-ion rechargeable battery safety. Power X-Change is a genuine platform, not only because the batteries fit several different products, but also because a number of high-performance batteries are available with different chargers that are compatible with a whole range of equipment. Right from the start, careful consideration was given to upwards and downwards compatibility. We have also left open the possibility of accommodating future innovation by designing in intelligent technology interfaces. But what does all of this mean for you as the user? You buy one or two batteries separately or in a product start-up kit, and you can then purchase more equipment without batteries. This reduces your initial investment costs. Batteries age. This has nothing to do with Einhell. It is inherently related to the electrochemical properties of Li-ion cells. The batteries do not age during the first year or two, but aging starts after that. If you have a lot of tools and equipment each with its own battery, you need to buy a new battery for every one of them after two or three years. With this platform, you buy two replacement batteries which you can use with all of your equipment just like when you first bought them. So you do not need to spend as much on replacement batteries. What technology is this new platform based on? How do we guarantee upgradability, open architecture to accommodate new technologies and intercompatibility? To go into that would take up an entire episode, but at this point I would like to share at least some basic information with you. The technology is based on strict separation between operation and protection of the cells in the battery pack and protection of the equipment motor subsystem and everything that has to do with the equipment. Every battery has its own Active Battery Management System which guarantees safe battery operation under all load conditions. If new cell technology becomes available, we will adapt the Battery Management System parameters to accommodate the new cells. Every item of equipment also has protection circuits which guarantee safe operation of the equipment and, above all, compatibility with all PowerX-Change energy sources. What this means is that the development state of the battery and of the equipment are kept separate so that we can introduce higher-performance batteries in the future as well as higher-performance equipment. This results in dual-track upgradability. If you have an old cordless screwdriver around the house and buy a new higher-capacity battery, you will get better performance from the tool, for example you can install more screws on one battery charge. If you have an old battery at home which has power to spare and you buy a new tool with a higher power rating, you will be able to use the power reserves of the old battery. The dual operating voltage option is a special feature of the Power-X-Change platform. Some Power-X Change equipment runs on 18V, other tools run on 36V. 18V equipment is powered by a single battery, while 2 batteries are installed on 36V equipment. So you do not need to buy an expensive 36V battery which has only limited use, and you also get the benefit of extra performance and safety. Why? Battery pack safety is directly related to the battery energy content which is safely made available by the Battery Management System. By law, the energy content which can normally be supplied and distributed for use by the end customer is limited to 100Wh max. By using multiple autonomous battery packs, each with its own inherent protection, the energy rating can exceed 100Wh and as a result our equipment can deliver more power than competitors’ equipment which does not have this technology. Incidentally, intercompatibility applies to batteries and charges as well as batteries and equipment. You have the choice of various chargers including fast chargers which keep charging times to a minimum. Power X-Change is a platform which was made possible by intelligent engineering, high-performance components and sound technical, electrical and safety design technology. If you are interested, you can learn more about the components and technologies in future episodes. Thank you for taking the time to watch this episode.