Yellow angels as battery testers

Yellow angels as battery testers

In the growing used car market, it is not as easy to determine the residual value of an electric car as it is for gasoline or diesel vehicles, because the traction battery can account for up to 50 percent of the vehicle's value. Their condition is therefore crucial for determining a fair market residual value. The Austrian startup Aviloo (see also www.automotive.at/kfz-wirtschaft/das-fieberthermometer-fuer-e-autos-204… ) developed an independent diagnostic procedure for drive batteries in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles through intensive research. “In search of a suitable diagnostic option, we turned to established companies, but the topic was too complex for them,” says ÖAMTC e-mobility expert Christian Klejna. “In Aviloo we have found a partner who we have supported from the start and are now working together to introduce the innovative diagnostic system to the market.”

Aging in percent

The test is created in the system at selected ÖAMTC bases and the Aviloo Box is professionally installed in the car by an ÖAMTC technician. “The member receives a link on their cell phone and is guided through the test point by point,” explains Aviloo CEO Wolfgang Berger. The check is data-based, the battery does not have to be removed for the test, the Aviloo Box is simply plugged into the OBD interface in the car. After the test is completed, a test certificate is created. The test result is given as a percentage and shows how much the drive battery has aged. “When the test certificate is handed over, the results are explained in detail to the members at the ÖAMTC base,” says ÖAMTC chief technician Thomas Hametner, describing the inspection process. “The price for the test and certificate is €180 including VAT – a good investment considering how important information about the condition of the battery is for the value of the vehicle.”