Traction battery busbar carriers for pouch battery cells

A vehicle comprising:

• an array of pouch battery cells each having terminal tabs of opposite polarity extending from opposing cell faces;
• a tray supporting the cells;
• a pair of carriers extending along the cell faces, each defining a plurality of apertures sized to receive the terminal tabs, and oriented perpendicularly relative to the tray;
• and
• a plurality of busbars arranged with the carriers and terminal tabs for parallel and series connection, wherein each of the busbars defines a busbar aperture sized substantially equal to one of the apertures in the carriers.

A traction battery assembly comprising:

• a pouch battery cell array having terminal tabs extending from opposite side faces of the cells;
• a pair of laddered carriers along opposite array sides including tab receiving apertures;
• and
• busbars secured to the carriers in an offset configuration relative to one another electrically connecting parallel clusters of the cells in series, wherein each of the busbars defines a busbar aperture sized substantially equal to one of the carrier apertures.