Stellantis Just Folded the Inverter Into the Battery — A Quiet EV Breakthrough With Loud Consequences

What happened

On September 19, 2025, Stellantis unveiled a prototype electric vehicle using a new battery architecture called the Intelligent Battery Integrated System (IBIS). In plain terms, the company and its partner Saft (a TotalEnergies subsidiary) put the charger and inverter inside the battery pack. Stellantis says the design makes the car about 10% more efficient, cuts charging time by roughly 15% (around an hour), and trims 40 kg from vehicle weight. The first test mule is a Peugeot e‑3008, and Stellantis aims to bring the technology to production “by the end of the decade.”

Why this matters (beyond the spec sheet)

EV adoption still wrestles with three anxieties: cost, range, and charging time. IBIS tackles all three by simplifying hardware. Fewer boxes, fewer cables, fewer parts to design, cool, and service — which can reduce cost and improve packaging. Think of it like your EV going on a minimalist diet: it ditched a couple of heavy toolboxes, then found extra room in the trunk for the groceries. If that 10% efficiency bump and hour-faster top‑up hold in real-world use, they translate into less time at the plug, more usable range, and potentially a lower sticker price — the trifecta EV skeptics actually notice.

How it works (without the PhD)

Most EVs use a battery (which stores DC power), an inverter (which converts DC to AC for the motor), and a charger (which converts AC from the grid to DC for the battery). IBIS blends those power‑conversion jobs into the battery itself using electronic control across ~200 transistors. That integration trims weight and frees space while reducing the number of components that can fail. The result is an EV powertrain with fewer “middlemen” moving electrons around, so less energy gets lost in translation and more goes to the wheels — which is where drivers feel it.

Not alone: the industry’s integration trend

Porsche Engineering has been exploring a related idea — a highly integrated “AC battery” that combines battery modules, inverter, DC/DC and on‑board charger into one system using a modular multilevel inverter approach. Their feasibility work shows the same direction of travel: fewer separate boxes, more software‑defined power electronics. That convergence is a strong signal this isn’t a one‑off stunt; it’s likely the next architecture battle.

How this connects to other fresh headlines

• Localization meets efficiency: Earlier this month, BYD said it plans to produce all EVs for Europe in Europe by 2028 to sidestep tariffs and tailor products locally. If Western and Chinese brands both localize manufacturing while adopting simpler, cheaper power electronics, Europe’s EV price war could accelerate — to consumers’ benefit.
• Policy push‑and‑pull: European automakers and suppliers recently argued that the EU’s 2035 zero‑emission targets are “no longer feasible,” citing costs and infrastructure gaps. Technologies like IBIS make targets a tad less scary by shaving cost and complexity, but they won’t replace policy or charging buildout. Expect Brussels debates to reference breakthroughs like this as evidence that the tech curve is still bending.
• Battery race isn’t just EVs: BASF and WELION announced mass‑produced cathode materials for semi‑solid‑state batteries in late August — a different lane of the same race to make packs safer, denser, and cheaper. Pair denser chemistries with integrated power electronics and you get EVs that are lighter, faster‑charging, and more affordable.
• Canada’s cautious turn: Ottawa recently delayed its EV sales mandate by a year to review costs. Moves like Stellantis’ make the review timely: if charging gets faster and systems get cheaper, cost‑benefit math changes — for regulators and for buyers from Montreal to Vancouver.

What it means for everyday life

For drivers, shorter charging stops and potentially lower prices are the headline wins. For city planners and fleet operators, simpler, lighter EVs mean easier maintenance and better total cost of ownership — relevant for everything from delivery vans to buses. And because Stellantis says IBIS could also serve stationary energy uses, this isn’t just a car story: home batteries and microgrids could eventually benefit from the same integrated, fewer‑parts approach, trimming installation space and service visits.

Where this could go next

Short term, watch road‑test data from the Peugeot e‑3008 and whether others license or rival IBIS‑style designs. Medium term, look for tighter power‑electronics integration across the board — from family hatchbacks to heavy trucks — alongside new battery chemistries (semi‑solid and beyond). Long term, if integration becomes standard, EVs may shed more weight, charge like laptops, and cost less to build — nudging the industry toward that elusive “EV at the price of an ICE.” No promises, but the blueprint just got a lot more believable.

The bottom line

EV innovation isn’t always flashy. Sometimes, the biggest leap is moving two boxes into one and letting software do the heavy lifting. Stellantis’ IBIS is that kind of leap — quietly engineering‑driven, globally relevant, and exactly the sort of change that makes the next wave of electric cars easier to buy, drive, and live with.