Volvo Cars has invested in UK startup Breathe Battery Technologies and will use its battery software to cut charging time  30 percent for its next generation of electric vehocles. The automaker did not disclose the size of the investment made by the Volvo Cars Tech Fund.

Devices that use lithium-ion battery packs, from smartphones to cars, are typically designed to limit their power intake during charging. This is to protect the battery cells from overheating. However, it also reduces charging speed.

Breathe’s so-called adaptive charging software offers a workaround. It controls the battery and monitors its health in real-time, allowing devices, including EVs, to charge at full-power when safe. It does this while minimising the risk of damage to the battery cells. The result is a 15-30% increase in an EV’s charging time, says the startup. These improvements are expected to last across the entire lifespan of the battery. Breathe’s technology should be available on new Volvo EVs within the next two to three years. Volvo said it will announce exactly which models will get the upgrades later this year.

“Fast charging is one of the cornerstone enablers for the future we strive towards,” said Dr Ian Campbell, CEO at Breathe. “Deploying our technology at scale on Volvo’s next generation EV platform opens doors to innovative car designs and performance improvements. This is the tip of the iceberg for unlocking what will be an awfully big change coming in batteries as they become more software defined,” Campbell said.

The investment from Volvo, which remains undisclosed, is the startup’s first foray into the EV space. The startup is working with a number of “top-tier blue-chip brands like Volvo,” Campbell said, but declined to provide names.

Breathe’s other software product, which is already available on 27 models of Oppo smartphones, helps make batteries more durable and perform at peak levels for much longer.