Electro Energy Receives $1M for Development of Bi-Polar Lithium-Ion Batteries

4 January 2006

Electro Energy (EEI), developer of bi-polar wafer-cell technology for batteries and a partner with CalCars on developing a bi-polar NiMH battery for the plug-in Prius (earlier post), will receive $1.0 million from the U.S. Army for development and demonstration of its bi-polar lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery for communication applications.

The company also recently received $1.5 million from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for continued development and demonstration of its bipolar wafer-cell Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery energy storage program. (Earlier post.)

Instead of using the conventional cylindrical coiled electrode or flat plate prismatic designs, the EEI design uses individual sealed flat rectangular wafer cells that are stacked on top of each other to create a series-connected battery.

This bi-polar design is more compact, exhibits higher power capability, and presumably will be lower in cost that the conventional cylindrical and prismatic designs.

The DOD funding will allow Electro Energy to continue development of applying its patented bipolar wafer-cell technology to the Li-Ion chemistry for U.S. Army communications systems and other applications. The adaptation of the EEI bipolar wafer design to Lithium batteries offers the potential advantages of better volumetric energy density, lower cost and higher power density than conventional designs.

—Michael Reed, Electro Energy President and COO

Electro Energy is currently in negotiations to acquire significant manufacturing assets near Gainesville, Fla., in early 2006 to accelerate commercialization of its battery technology.