BMW’s work with Lumissil suggests battery wiring harnesses are the next target as automakers simplify electric architectures
Lumissil Microsystems and BMW Group have sent data across an entire 800 V Gen6 battery from BMW using power line communication (PLC), routing signals over the pack’s existing electrical paths in place of dedicated communication wiring. The test linked the central battery management controller with the circuits that supervise individual cells.
The Gen6 battery debuted in the new iX3 earlier in 2026. Cell measurements and control commands travelled in both directions between multiple nodes, at cell level and across the full battery, under varying voltage and current and in representative driving conditions.
Removing communication wires and connectors could cut weight and cost and improve reliability, the partners say, and the method could suit other battery layouts. That flexibility points to battery management designs that scale across platforms more easily, though the work remains a demonstration with no production timing given, and the two companies will continue developing PLC.
In a statement, Thomas Glass, Senior Expert, Development E/E HV-Storage at BMW Group, said: “Our joint work with Lumissil has demonstrated that reliable, bidirectional communication can be achieved using the existing electrical infrastructure of a complete 800 V battery system. This is an important step toward simpler, more efficient, and scalable battery management architectures for future electric vehicles.”
Source: GlobeNewswire
Source: www.automotiveworld.com
