The next frontier in electric vehicle (EV) technology is less about headline-grabbing acceleration and more about efficiency, practicality, and affordability. Stellantis, the parent conglomerate of brands including Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep, and Citroën, is making waves in 2025 with its new IBIS (Intelligent Battery Integrated System) technology. This breakthrough is rapidly moving from laboratories to real-world road tests, promising to reshape the way EVs are designed, charged, and maintained.
What Is the Stellantis IBIS Battery System?
Traditionally, EVs use a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack that stores direct current (DC). Since electric motors require alternating current (AC) and the electric grid supplies AC for charging, an inverter and onboard charger are necessary to manage the conversion between AC and DC. These components add weight, consume space, and slightly degrade efficiency.
The IBIS system, developed in collaboration with Saft (a subsidiary of TotalEnergies), revolutionizes this architecture by integrating the inverter and charger functions directly into the battery pack. This means electronic conversion happens inside the battery, removing the need for large and heavy external components. Stellantis’ IBIS is now operational in a Peugeot e-3008 prototype and is expected to reach production vehicles by the end of the decade.
How IBIS Works: The Tech Explained
IBIS distributes conversion electronics, known as “H-bridges,” among clusters of six cells within the battery pack. Each group can convert the pack’s DC output to three-phase AC locally, directly powering motors or handling AC charging from the grid. This modular approach not only makes the battery lighter and less complex but also paves the way for innovative layouts and easier upgrades over time.
Read Also: Automotive Industry
Core Benefits of IBIS
- Reduced Weight and Increased Space: By eliminating a standalone inverter and onboard charger, IBIS saves nearly 40 kg (about 88 lbs) and frees up around 17 liters of interior volume. That extra space can be used for more passenger comfort or design flexibility.
- Efficiency and Performance Gains: Vehicles equipped with IBIS see up to 10% better energy efficiency and a 15% increase in available power output (172 kW vs. the previous 150 kW standard, using the same battery size).
- Faster Charging: IBIS reduces AC charging times by as much as 15%, turning a typical 7-hour 7kW AC charge into less than 6 hours, and DC charging sessions similarly benefit from lower peak losses.
- Simplified Maintenance and Second Life: Integrating electronics into the pack simplifies servicing. Once the pack’s automotive life ends, its built-in power management makes it easier to repurpose for stationary grid storage, creating a true circular economy for batteries.
A New Standard for Flexibility
IBIS is chemistry-agnostic, supporting the use of NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt), LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate), and potentially future battery chemistries—even allowing them to coexist within a single pack. If better cells are developed a few years after purchase, modules can be swapped in for an upgrade without replacing the entire pack. This ability to mix and match or upgrade chemistries gives automakers and consumers unprecedented flexibility.
Real-World Impact: The Peugeot E-3008 Prototype
The first real-world test of IBIS is underway in a Peugeot e-3008 crossover, using a 65 kWh battery. Thanks to IBIS’ efficiency and power boost, this prototype achieves a similar range and output as a conventional 73 kWh battery, proving the system’s capability to extend vehicle range without increasing battery size or cost.
Why IBIS Matters for the EV Market
- Affordability: One of the core barriers to EV adoption has been high initial cost, largely due to complex electronics. By merging components, IBIS could cut costs for manufacturers—and, ultimately, for consumers.
- Faster Charging for Mainstream EVs: Current mainstream EVs charge slowly on AC and require expensive fast DC setups for quicker charging. IBIS shortens everyday AC home charging, making EV ownership far more convenient for suburban and urban drivers.
- Scalability Across Vehicle Types: From small city cars to SUVs and even commercial vehicles, IBIS’ modular architecture can be adapted to suit different requirements, accelerating its rollout across Stellantis’ many brands.
- Sustainability: Easy pack conversion for second-life applications means less electronic waste and more efficient use of raw materials, a huge step toward greener supply chains.
How IBIS Stands Out from Other Innovations
While other automakers are refining battery packaging—for instance, Tesla’s cell-to-pack architecture or LFP/NMC chemistry blends—most still rely on bulky external inverters and onboard chargers. IBIS is the first to fully integrate all power electronics into the battery, setting a new benchmark in design simplicity and efficiency.
Industry and Consumer Implications
Stellantis Chief Engineering and Technology Officer Ned Curic sums up the approach: simplification brings not just efficiency, but innovation and affordability. With 25 engineers from Saft, CNRS, Sorbonne, and the University of Paris-Saclay collaborating on IBIS, this is a major leap from concept to commercial reality—and one expected to ripple far beyond Stellantis.
Consumers can look forward to EVs with:
- More range and faster refueling “at home”
- Lighter, more spacious vehicles
- Lower service costs and easy upgrades
- Better sustainability, thanks to circular battery use.
Read Also: European Union EV regulations
The Road Ahead: When Will IBIS Arrive?
IBIS-equipped production models are targeted for late this decade, likely around 2029 or 2030. The technology will premiere across Stellantis’ global line-up, starting with new-generation vehicles on the STLA platform—meaning brands like Peugeot, Opel, Citroën, Jeep, and Fiat could all benefit. The flexibility of IBIS also positions it for use in stationary storage, rail transport, aerospace, and maritime shipping in future applications.
Stellantis’ IBIS battery system signals a major leap for electric vehicles—delivering lighter, faster-charging, and more affordable EVs by treating the battery as a “smart power center” rather than just energy storage. As real-world testing ramps up, this innovation could set new standards for performance, usability, and sustainability in the coming era of e-mobility.