Saft Adds Lithium Iron Phosphate Technology to Line-up

25 April 2007

Saft Space and Defense Division (SDD) has added a new lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) technology to its product line-up. Saft will present this new product at the Advanced Automotive Battery and Ultracapacitor Conference (AABC) jointly with its supplier, Phostech, in May.

Saft says that these are the highest performance LiFePO₄ cells available today, measured in specific power or specific energy. Saft says that the performance of the LiFePO₄ product, while superior to competitive offerings using the same chemistry, will be nominally 20% - 30% inferior to its premier product range based on an LiNiCoAlO₂ cathode. The interest in LiFePO₄ is due to its good thermal stability, which can limit the outcome resulting from severe abuse.

Saft’s LiFePO₄ products will be available in several Space and Defense Division standard formats. Saft SDD is developing standard modules and electronics to make the technology applicable. One of the challenges will be in providing the State of Charge in this technology and in maintaining good balancing of cells, both of which will be done with Saft’s electronics and software expertise.