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[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
Researchers Develop Method to Enhance Capacitance of Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Supercapacitors
November 22, 2009
| Carbon nanotubes with controllably induced extrinsic defects could serve as supercapacitor electrodes with enhanced charge and energy storage capacity (inset: a magnified view of a single carbon nanotube). Source: UCSD. Click to enlarge. |
University of California San Diego researchers have developed a method to enhance the capacitance of carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode-based electrochemical capacitors by controllably incorporating extrinsic defects into the CNTs. The result is an increase in the magnitude of both the pseudocapacitance and double-layer capacitance by as much as 50% and 200%, respectively, compared to untreated electrodes.
The work, published 5 November in the journal Applied Physics Letters, could result in improved charge storage capacity and energy density for electrochemical capacitors.
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Researchers Develop Solid-State, Rechargeable Lithium-Air Battery; Potential to Exceed 1,000 Wh/kg
November 21, 2009
| Sample UDRI solid-state, rechargeable lithium-air batteries, and Dr. Binod Kumar. Click to enlarge. |
Engineers at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) have developed a solid-state, rechargeable lithium-air battery. When fully developed, the battery could exceed specific energies of 1,000 Wh/kg in practical applications, the researchers wrote in a paper published online 13 November in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society.
The cell comprises a Li metal anode, a highly Li-ion conductive solid electrolyte membrane laminate fabricated from glass–ceramic (GC) and polymer–ceramic materials, and a solid-state composite air cathode prepared from high surface area carbon and ionically conducting GC powder.
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Volt and Its Battery Pack Converging on Product and Process Validation in February 2010; Fine-Tuning in Preparation for Start of Regular Production in Nov 2010
November 18, 2009
| The Volt and its Li-ion battery pack have proceeded in parallel through GM’s development and manufacturing process. Next up is the PPV (product and process validation) stage (Feb-Aug 2010) prior to the start of regular production (SORP) in November 2010. |
Both the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle and its battery pack are converging on the beginning of the product and process validation (PPV) stage of GM’s development and manufacturing process, scheduled to start in February 2010, according to an online status update given by Andrew Farrah, Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer and Bill Wallace, Engineering Group Manager, Voltec Battery Systems.
Both the vehicle and the pack have undergone some expected tweaking on the run-up to PPV based on the testing to date. On the vehicle side, these have included adjustments to address NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) issues when running in electric mode. On the pack and cell side, GM has made minor adjustments in the chemistry (LG Chem’s Li-ion manganese spinel) in collaboration with LG Chem for improved life. The current cell chemistry for the Volt, now in its fourth generation, is the one that will head into production.
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Sanyo to Begin Mass Production of Li-ion Systems for Power Storage and Light Electric Vehicle Applications
November 13, 2009
| Sanyo Li-ion systems for power storage (left) and light electric vehicle (right) applications. Click to enlarge. |
Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. has developed two new lithium-ion battery systems and will begin mass production of the new products in March 2010. Initial monthly production for each system will be 500 units.
The Standard Battery System for Electric Motors (EVB-101) can be used to power light electric vehicles that are in the R&D or small-scale mass production stages. The rack-mountable Standard Battery System for Energy Storage (DCB-101) can be easily incorporated into existing systems as part of hybrid schemes using solar cells, to store electricity generated by wind power, or for electrical output stabilization. It can also be used as a back-up power source for servers or mobile phone base stations.
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Dow and HPL Sign Li-ion Technology Transfer Agreement; Dow Kokam JV Acquires Assets of Kokam America
November 12, 2009
The Dow Chemical Company announced the transfer to Dow of collective assets from HPL (High Power Lithium). HPL was spun out from Professor Graetzel’s laboratory at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland) in 2003 and is focused on the development of nano-structured metal oxide energy storage materials and novel electrolytes for use in next generation lithium ion batteries.
HPL is financed by the founders, Draper Fisher Jurvetson ePlanet Ventures, Initiative Capital Romandie (managed by DEFI-Gestion), Bankinvest New Energy Solutions and private investors.
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Sion Power Receives $800K DOE Grant to Enhance Lithium Sulfur Batteries
| A lithium-sulfur cell. Source: Sion Power. Click to enlarge. |
Sion Power Corporation has received a three-year, $800,000 research grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to support Sion’s ongoing work to develop a new class of electrolytes used in lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries for electric vehicle (EV) applications. Sion Power will provide matching funds for this three-year effort.
The project objective is to increase performance of very-high-energy lithium metal anodes used in rechargeable battery systems. Sion Power will complete development of its unique electrolyte system employing multiple components. While improving lithium conductivity, one component will be optimized to enhance metallic lithium anode performance; another will enhance cathode functionality.
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Accenture Reports Identifies 12 Disruptive Technologies Most Likely to Transform Supply and Demand of Transport Fuels and Cut Emissions Within Next 10 Years
November 10, 2009
| Accenture timeline for evolution of electrification technologies, the “game-changing” subset of the disruptive technologies. Source: Accenture. Click to enlarge. |
Accenture has identified 12 technologies that it concludes have the potential to disrupt the current views of transport fuels supply, demand and GHG emissions over the next 10 years. In a report comparing advances in combustion engines, biofuels, electrification and other technologies, Accenture warns that the commercial viability of those disruptive technologies will be delayed unless regulators more proactively support the transformation of science into applied technologies.
“Betting on Science – Disruptive Technologies in Transport Fuels” selected 12 innovations in electrification and genetically modified biofuels, as well as existing fuel sources that will have the most immediate impact on emissions and on the gasoline and diesel markets. The study profiled 25 companies that aim to commercialize these technologies in the next five (i.e., by 2014) and also examines different global markets.
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Li-ion Startup ActaCell To Receive Up to $1M Through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund
ActaCell, a Li-ion battery spin-off from the University of Texas at Austin, was selected by the state of Texas, through the Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Central Texas Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization (CenTex RCIC), to be awarded investment by the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF).
The ETF selection means a $250,000 pre-seed award of a reserved amount up to $1 million. This investment is combined with Series A funding of $5.8 million received a year ago from groups such as Google.org and DJF Mercury. (Earlier post.) All investments fuel ActaCell to continue its momentum toward commercialization of its Li-Ion technology.
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ISE Standardizing Energy Storage Systems Controls Interface to Allow Easier Use By Other Manufacturers
| ISE’s Ultra-E 500 ultracapacitor system is capable of up to 1,000,000 charge cycles, lasting significantly longer than conventional alternatives. Click to enlarge. |
ISE Corporation, which has been developing and incorporating its energy storage systems into its own heavy-duty drive systems since 1999, is now standardizing its controls interface to allow other manufacturers more easily to integrate ISE energy storage technologies into their own applications.
In June, ISE and Maxwell Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining formation of a strategic alliance to develop and market high-voltage energy storage systems for fuel-efficient, low-emission, hybrid buses and trucks. (Earlier post.)
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EVI Launches New Medium-Duty Electric Truck, Allies with Freightliner Custom Chassis for Electric Walk-in Van, Selects Valence for Exclusive Battery Supplier
November 07, 2009
Electric Vehicles International (EVI) has introduced its new medium-duty truck, the MD EVI. (Earlier post.) EVI also has formed a strategic alliance with Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation to build a fully electric Walk-In Van, the WI EVI.
At the unveiling of the vehicles at the Grand Opening ceremony for EVI’s new US headquarters and production facility in Stockton, California, EVI also announced an exclusive supply agreement with Valence Technologies for Li-ion energy storage systems.
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EnerDel to Develop Batteries for Series Hybrid XM1124 Humvee
November 05, 2009
| Cutaway of the XM1124. Source: Brudnak et al. Click to enlarge. |
Automotive lithium-ion battery maker EnerDel, Inc. has received a $1.29 million contract to design and build high-performance lithium-ion battery systems for the hybrid version of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Humvee), the XM1124 Humvee. The XM1124 is a series hybrid with a diesel genset and two traction motors, one for each axle.
EnerDel will spend the next 18 months collaborating with the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to produce four custom-built power systems that will be subjected to extreme performance simulations. TARDEC and its partners have evaluated a number of battery solutions over the past few years, including systems from Saft and A123Systems.
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Renault-Nissan Alliance, CEA and FSI to Form Joint Venture to Develop and Manufacture Batteries for Electric Vehicles
| Li-ion pack of the type to be assembled at Flins. Click to enlarge. |
The Renault-Nissan Alliance, the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and the French Strategic Investment Fund (FSI) signed a letter of intent to set up a joint venture company that would develop and manufacture batteries for electric vehicles, under the patronage of Christian Estrosi, the French Minister for Industry.
The joint venture between Renault, Nissan, CEA and FSI would focus on advanced research, manufacturing and the recycling of electric vehicle batteries. The joint venture plans to produce batteries from mid-2012 at the Renault Flins plant, located 30 km from Paris. Production capacity is targeted at 100,000 batteries a year. The investment value of the first phase of the project is estimated at €600 million (US$893 million).
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Saft to Raise Approximately €120M to Fund Li-ion Plants in US
November 02, 2009
Saft intends, depending on market conditions, to raise approximately €120 million (US$177 million) in equity capital by way of an issue of preferential subscription rights to fund its lithium-ion battery plant in Jacksonville (Florida), the lithium-ion hybrid and electric battery plant of the Johnson-Controls-Saft JV in Holland (Michigan) and to reinforce its financial flexibility.
Saft made the announcement concurrent with its release of 3Q 2009 financial results: an 11.9% reduction in Q3 sales year-on-year to €123.2 million (US$182 million), and a 13.2% reduction at constant exchange rates.
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Ford and Smith Terminate Partnership on Electric Transit Connect Project for US; Ford Now Partnering with Azure Dynamics to Deliver the Vehicle in 2010; Smith Partnering with AM General on Electric Vans for USPS
October 30, 2009
Ford Motor Company and Smith Electric Vehicles US (SEV US) have mutually agreed to terminate the development project of an electric car-derived van based on Transit Connect. (Earlier post.)
In a trading statement issued today, UK-based Tanfield Group, SEV US’ parent, said that given the growth in demand for its production-ready Smith Newton, the forecast volumes of the electric Transit Connect did not, in the short- to medium-term, justify the investment requirement to deliver the vehicle, and also limited the working capital available to support the growth of Newton. SEV US has commenced production of the Smith Newton electric truck platform at its assembly facility in Kansas City, Missouri, and currently has an order book of 255 trucks.
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New Graphite-Core/Silicon-Shell Composite Material for Enhanced Li-ion Performance
October 29, 2009
| Capacity limited cycling of a graphite-core/silicon-shell electrode. Source: Fuchsbichler et al. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the Institute for Chemistry and Technology of Materials at the Graz (Austria) University of Technology have developed a new method to utilize silicon in lithium-ion anode materials.
Silicon is a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries, as it offers about 10x the theoretical capacity of graphite; it also suffers from structural challenges—specifically changes in volume upon lithiation and delithiation that quickly degrade the structural integrity of the material—resulting in short lifecyles. As a result, numerous studies have and are exploring ways to methods the cycle life Li-ion cells with a silicon anode material.
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Tata Motors Selects EIG Lithium-ion Polymer Batteries for Indica Vista Electric Vehicle Program
October 27, 2009
| EIG will supply 20Ah NCM Li-ion polymer cells to Miljøbil Grenland AS. Click to enlarge. |
Miljøbil Grenland AS, a Norwegian subsidiary of Tata Motors European Technical Centre plc., awarded South Korea-based Energy Innovation Group Ltd. (EIG) a contract to supply batteries for the Indica Vista EV project (earlier post), a development of the TATA Indica Vista.
Within the supply agreement, EIG Ltd. is to supply 20Ah lithium-ion polymer cells to Miljøbil Grenland AS for the design validation and the subsequent engineering sign-off scheduled for early 2010. The supply agreement envisions the supply of two million battery cells as well as the associated parts and services through the end of 2012.
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ARPA-E Awards $151M to 37 Projects for Transformative Energy Research
October 26, 2009
The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 37 energy research projects for $151 million in funding through the recently formed Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This is the first round of projects funded under ARPA-E, which is receiving total of $400 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Among the projects selected are an effort to develop new metal-air batteries using advanced ionic liquids with 6-20 times the energy density of Li-ion batteries at < 1/3 the cost; a project to produce a flow of gasoline directly from sunlight and CO2 using a symbiotic system of two organisms; and a new type of engine for use as a genset in a plug-in hybrid vehicle that is five times more efficient than traditional auto engines in electricity production, 20% lighter, and 30% cheaper to manufacture.
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The Business of Plugging In: Building the Full Ecosystem for a Successful Plug-in Vehicle Industry in the US
October 23, 2009
The Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit this week marked a serious effort by utilities; automakers and suppliers; academia; government agencies; and financiers to instigate the necessary granular discussions required to lay an integrated foundation to develop a full ecosystem—products, services, policies, supply chain and consumer demand—for the successful deployment and growth of plug-in vehicles in the US.
Viewed another way, the conference was seeking to connect the different contributors or stakeholders that will be required to deliver and to support—on a large scale, to mainstream consumers—plug-in, electric drive vehicles that can compete in terms of cost, convenience, performance, and lifestyle appeal with combustion-engined cars that have had the benefit of more than 100 years of an ever-evolving value chain.
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New Type of Polymer Electrolyte for Li-ion Batteries Offers Liquid-Like and Stable Conductivity Over a Wide Temperature Range
October 20, 2009
| Li-ion-conducting solid-liquid nanocomposite based on crosslinking of a QII phase formed by 1 with a PC-LiClO4 solution. Credit: ACS, Kerr et al. 2009. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Heron Scientific, Inc.; and TDA Research, Inc. report on the development of a new type of polymer electrolyte material for Li-ion transport. The new material offers many of the best features of gelled polymers and LC-based electrolytes plus very stable, liquid-like ion conductivity over a wide temperature range that has not been observed in either of those other types of materials, according to the researchers. A paper on their work was published online 19 October in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Polymer electrolytes with high ion conductivity are critical for Li-ion battery performance, the authors note. Although liquid electrolytes have higher conductivity, solid polymers are preferred because liquid electrolytes can leak and have poorer fabrication properties. Unfortunately, polymer electrolytes have poor low-temperature conductivity.
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Study Finds PHEV Li-ion Iron Phosphate Cells Show Little Capacity Fade Under Combined Driving and V2G Usage; Economic Model Suggests Incentives Will Be Required for Vehicle Owners to Participate in V2G
[This is a revision of an earlier post, which had been pulled due to the status of the referenced papers as working papers. Both have now been revised and accepted by the Journal of Power Sources and are in press.]
| Degradation as a function of (a) capacity (Ah) processed by cell or (b) energy (Wh) at different DoD. Different DoD did not have a large impact on capacity fade. Source: Peterson et al. (CEIC-09-02) Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center have concluded that a PHEV pack comprising lithium iron phosphate cells would incur little capacity loss from combining vehicle-to-grid (V2G) activities with regular driving. Statistical analyses indicated that rapid battery cycling incurred when driving degraded the cells more than slower, vehicle-to-grid galvanostatic cycling.
Scott Peterson, Jay Apt, and Jay Whitacre also found that the percent capacity lost in the cells (they used A123Systems 26650 M1 cells, which are used in the Hymotion PHEV conversion packs) per normalized Wh or Ah processed is quite low even based on just use in a dynamic driving cycle—more than 95% of the original cell capacity remained after thousands of driving days worth of use. However, in a companion paper assessing the economics of V2G for consumers, they also concluded that the maximum annual profit for a PHEV owner to engage in V2G (~$10-$120) would likely prove insufficient to encourage use of the battery pack for grid electricity storage and later off-vehicle use.
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Nissan and Sumitomo to Launch Second-Life Venture for EV Battery Packs; 4R Business Model
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Sumitomo Corporation are planning to initiate a business venture to “Reuse, Resell, Refabricate and Recycle” (4R) lithium-ion batteries previously used in electric cars, giving them a second-life as energy-storage solutions in markets worldwide.
The 4R business model defined by the two companies is designed to capitalize on the supply of reusable lithium-ion batteries as electric cars achieve more widespread marketplace acceptance. Although today there is no existing supply of large-capacity reusable batteries, by 2020 in Japan, the demand for second-life batteries is expected to reach the equivalent of 50,000 electric cars per year at the minimum, as demand grows for an increasing range of energy-storage solutions.
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Fraunhofer ICT Working on New Redox Flow Batteries with Improved Capacity for EV Applications
October 15, 2009
| Working principle of a redox flow battery. Source: Jens Noack, Fraunhofer ICT. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Pfinztal near Karlsruhe are developing improved redox flow batteries for automotive applications in an attempt to address storage capacity and charging time limitations of current Li-ion battery solutions for electric vehicles.
Redox flow batteries (RFB) are chemical energy storage devices, and use dissolved redox couples (an oxidizing agent and a reducing agent in an electron transfer process) held in separate external tanks; electricity is converted in a separate power module. The two fluid electrolytes containing metal ions flow through porous graphite felt electrodes, separated by a membrane which allows protons to pass through it. During this exchange of charge a current flows over the electrodes, which can be used by a battery-powered device.
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Researchers Propose Single Nanorod Devices for Better Li-ion Battery Diagnostics
October 12, 2009
| SEM images of nanorod devices in 1 M LiPF6 in the EC/DEC electrolyte: LiMn2O4 (a) 0, (b) 3, and (c) 9 h; LiAl0.1Mn1.9O4 (d) 0, (e) 3, and (f) 9 h; λ-MnO2 (g) 0, (h) 3, and (i) 9 h. Credit: ACS, Yang et al. Click to enlarge. |
An international team of researchers from Stanford University, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is proposing the use of single nanostructure devices as a powerful new diagnostic tool for Li-ion batteries. A paper on their work was published online 6 October in the ACS journal Nano Letters.
The electrodes in lithium-ion batteries consist of particles with various sizes and shapes, conductive carbon, and polymer binders. During battery charge/discharge, the insertion or extraction of electrons and ions is accompanied by a series of other complex processes such as structure and phase transformation, volume change, materials dissolution, and side chemical reaction with electrolyte, the authors note. While a number of different technologies have been used for battery diagnostics, “the heterogeneous nature of ensemble electrodes averages all information and can not provide a direct correlation of electrochemical properties with the local morphology, structure, and chemical composition.”
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Researchers at Japan’s AIST Propose a Rechargeable Ni-Li Battery with Hybrid Electrolyte; Ultrahigh Theoretical Energy Density Plus High Power Potential
October 06, 2009
| Key components, cell voltage, and cell capacity of Li-ion battery (a), Ni-MH battery (b), and the proposed Ni-Li battery (c). Credit: ACS, Li et al. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have developed a prototype of a battery that can simultaneously offer the high cell voltage of Li-ion cells and the large cell capacity of Ni-MH cells: a rechargeable nickel (cathode) / lithium metal (anode) battery using a hybrid aqueous and organic electrolyte separated by a superionic conductor glass ceramic film.
The proposed Ni-Li battery offers both a high cell voltage (3.49 V) and a large cell capacity (268 mAh/kg), which together create an ultrahigh energy density. The theoretical energy density calculated using only the active electrodes and cell voltage for the Ni-Li battery is 935 Wh/kg. With the same calculations, NiMh offers 214 Wh/kg, and cobalt oxide Li-ion cells offer 414 Wh/kg. A paper on the proposed Ni-Li system was published 5 October in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
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France Launches 14-Point Plan to Accelerate Development of Electric Cars and Plug-in Hybrids; €1.5B for Charging Infrastructure, New €625M Li-ion Battery Plant
October 02, 2009
Jean-Louis Borloo, France’s Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea, presented a national 14-point plan designed to accelerate the development and subsequent commercialization of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in France. The government intends for its strategy to lead to the production of two million EVs and PHEVs (combined) by 2020.
Among the financial highlights of the plan are a public investment of €1.5 billion (US$2.2 billion) to establish a network of 1 million charging points by 2015 and the building of a €625 million (US$910 million) lithium-ion battery plant at a plant owned by Renault with a public contribution of €125 million (US$182 million) toward the total.
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Honda-Led Research Team Devises Method to Control Growth of Nanotubes with Metallic Conductivity
October 01, 2009
| Carbon nanotubes are preferentially grown by controlling the shape and size of the catalyst. Tubes growing on red and pink exhibit metallic properties, while semiconducting tubes are on blue. The height of the nanotubes indicates the probability of each specific tube in the experiment. Source: Honda RI. Click to enlarge. |
A team of researchers from Honda Research Institute USA, Inc., in conjunction with researchers at Purdue University and the University of Louisville, has developed a method for controllably growing carbon nanotubes with metallic conductivity. With further optimization, the researchers say, “direct control over nanotube structure during growth may well be feasible.” A paper on their work appears in the 2 Oct issue of the journal Science.
Carbon nanotubes are grown on the surface of metal nanoparticles, and take the form of rolled graphene sheets. The nanotube bonding configuration is known as its chirality. The chirality determines the conductivity of the nanotube—i.e., either metallic or semiconducting. Nanotubes exhibiting metallic conductivity possess extraordinary strength compared to steel, higher electrical properties than copper, are as efficient in conducting heat as a diamond and are as light as cotton.
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Panasonic Develops 1.5 kWh Li-ion Battery Module; Targeting Home Storage and Vehicle Applications
| Panasonic module. Click to enlarge. |
Panasonic Corporation has developed a 1.5 kWh battery module from 18650-type (18 mm in diameter x 65 mm in length) lithium-ion battery cells to provide energy storage solutions for a wide range applications. Multiple units can be connected in series and/or parallel to store energy generated by home-use photovoltaic (PV) systems and fuel cells or power electric vehicles (EV), the company suggests.
The module has a volume of approximately 7 liters and weighs 8 kg. Voltage is 25.2V with a capacity of 58 Ah. A prototype will be shown at CEATEC JAPAN 2009 (Makuhari Messe, 6-10 October 2009) and New Energy Industry Fair Osaka (Intex Osaka, 7-9 October 2009).
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Volkswagen and Varta Microbattery Ltd. to Collaborate on Next-Generation Li-ion Systems for Electric Drive Vehicles
September 25, 2009
Volkswagen and Varta Microbattery Ltd. will establish, subject to necessary regulatory approvals, a research collaboration to develop next-generation Li-ion systems for electric drive vehicles.
The initial goal is the research and development of a Li-ion cell which is technically superior and price competitive. Research activities will be done at VARTA Microbattery’s head office in Ellwangen and initially the project will cover a four year period.
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Adding Graphene to Metal Oxides Significantly Improves Li-ion Electrode Specific Capacity at High Charge/Discharge Rates
September 24, 2009
| Specific capacities of two TiO2-FGS (functionalized graphene sheets) hybrids at different charge / discharge rates compared to control TiO2. Credit: ACS, Wang 2009. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found that adding graphene—sheets made up of single carbon atoms—to titanium dioxide (TiO2) results in lithium-ion electrode materials that significantly outperform standard titanium dioxide materials. They presented the results of their work on these hybrid TiO2-graphene systems earlier this week at the Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference in Portland, Oregon.
As attractive as Li-ion batteries are for application in electric vehicles and renewable energy applications, many potential electrode materials are limited by slow Li-ion diffusion, poor electron transport in electrodes, and increased resistance at the interface of electrode/electrolyte at high charge. One avenue researchers are exploring to improve that performance is to introduce hybrid nanostructured electrodes that interconnect nanostructured electrode materials with conductive additive material.
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Li-Ion Battery Researchers Work To Improve Precision Measurements of Charging, Estimations of Cycle Life; Highlight Need For Further Order of Magnitude Improvement In Accuracy
September 23, 2009
by Jack Rosebro
| The cell charger array constructed at the Dahn laboratory, Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University. The Keithley 2750 and 2000 devices are high-precision voltmeters, and the Keithley 220 devices are programmable current sources. The thermostats are controlled temperature chambers that house the electrochemical cells under test. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia have called for new tools that can more accurately measure an electrochemical cell’s Coulombic efficiency (CE) when evaluating cycle life of lithium-ion cells as well as other battery chemistries. In electrochemical cells, Coulombic efficiency refers to the ratio of the charge delivered during discharge to the amount stored during charging. If the CE is not 1.000, then parasitic processes are occurring within the cell, and cycle life will be less than infinite. CE is typically measured by the device that discharges and recharges the cell or half-cell under test in the lab.
Although “cycle life” refers to the amount of charge-discharge cycles that a cell can withstand before degrading to a predetermined level at which it is considered unusable in a given application—often roughly 80% of the cell’s original capacity and/or performance for hybrid and electric vehicle applications—careful measurements of CE can often quantify the effects of trace impurities, additives, electrode coatings, and other experimental cell modifications in as little as a few charge-discharge cycles, thereby potentially accelerating cell development.
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Dassault’s SVE to Combine with Dow Kokam in Li-ion Battery Partnership for EVs
September 22, 2009
Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault (Dassault) and Dow Kokam LLC have signed an agreement that outlines the intention to combine the business activities of Dassault’s Société de Vehicles Electriques (SVE) unit with Dow Kokam, making Dassault a minority owner of Dow Kokam, a joint venture between Dow Chemical and Townsend Kokam for Li-ion batteries. The companies said that the agreement will enable them to address early electric vehicle customer needs by leveraging Dassault’s capabilities and experience in advanced battery systems with Dow Kokam’s cell technology.
The transaction is subject to negotiation of definitive agreements and any applicable regulatory approvals.
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Chemetall Lithium Awarded €5.7M to Set Up Pilot Li-ion Battery Recycling Plant
The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety recently awarded €5.7 million (US$8.4 million) to Chemetall Lithium, a unit of Rockwood Holdings Inc., to set up a pilot plant for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries. Chemetall will provide additional funds to bring the total investment above €10 million.
Chemetall is part of a consortium of companies participating in “LithoRec”, a research and development project related to the recycling of lithium-ion batteries. As few electric vehicles have entered the market, there is limited knowledge and expertise on the collecting and recycling of large lithium-ion batteries. Existing techniques concentrate on the recycling of lithium-ion batteries for portable electronics with low recycling rates and little to no recovery of lithium, according to Chemetall. Currently there is no process for the recycling of automotive batteries for electric cars, especially for the recovery of lithium out of cathode material and electrolytes.
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Imara Corporation Launches Its First High-Power Lithium-Ion Battery Cell
September 21, 2009
| Energy Density vs. Power Density for the 18650HP1 Click to enlarge. |
Li-ion start-up Imara Corporation (earlier post) announced that its first 18650 high-power lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cells are now available. Imara is providing battery cells to customers in the power tool, outdoor power equipment and transportation markets.
The cells offer a volumetric energy density of 350 Wh/L, and a gravimetric density of 135 Wh/kg. Nominal capacity is 1510 mAh, and nominal cell voltage is 3.7V. The 18650HP1 offers a high lifetime energy delivery of 6.8 kWh, according to Imara.
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Michigan Energy and Advanced Automotive Research Lined Up for $99.5M in Funding from FY2010 Defense Appropriations Bill
The Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2010, passed earlier this month by the US Senate Appropriations Committee and now under consideration by the full Senate, contains US$14.4 billion in funding for Michigan firms, the majority of which—$12.4 billion—is allocated for vehicle and weapons procurement, according to Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
Of the total, $99.5 million is designated for energy research and development ($75 million), with a heavy emphasis on lithium-ion battery technology; and advanced automotive systems development ($24.5 million), including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and hydraulic hybrids.
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MIT Researchers Find That Elastic Energy Storage Systems Built With Carbon Nanotubes Could Match Li-ion Battery Energy Densities
September 19, 2009
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| Energy density of single-walled CNT (SWCNT) bundles under tensile loading with support structures made of single crystal diamond, silicon and silicon carbide. Densities for steel springs and Li-ion batteries provide a comparison. Hill et al. 2009. Click to enlarge. |
New research by MIT scientists suggests that carbon nanotubes could be used to create elastic energy storage systems with energy densities that could be three orders of magnitude higher than those of conventional steel springs, and comparable to Li-ion batteries with potentially more durability and reliability.
Carol Livermore, associate professor of mechanical engineering and her team used an ordered grouping of carbon nanotubes (CNT) as a spring to store elastic energy for later use—much as a steel spring stores energy in a mechanical watch. The research team has recently published two papers on their findings. A paper describing a theoretical analysis of the springs’ potential, co-authored by Livermore, graduate student Frances Hill and Timothy Havel SM ’07, appeared in June in the journal Nanotechnology.
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ixetic Shows R744-based Thermal Management Concept for Li-ion Packs; Other Pumps for Lower Energy Consumption
September 18, 2009
At the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), ixetic GmbH presented a concept R744-based thermal management system for lithium-ion battery packs in electric cars. (R744 refrigerant is chemically nothing more than pure CO2.)
The system uses a special compressor that works according to the principle of a heat pump—i.e., it can both cool and heat to an equal extent. The system constantly maintains the pack temperature at between 15 to 35 °C (59 to 95 °F), even when the vehicle is parked. If the vehicle is not running, the compressor takes the electricity it requires for cooling or heating directly from the battery.
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US House Passes $2.85B Bill for Advanced Technology Vehicle R&D from 2010-2014
September 17, 2009
The US House yesterday passed by a vote of 312-114 a bill that would authorize additional appropriations totalling $2.85 billion over the 2010-2014 period for the US Department of Energy (DOE) to support a broad range of research activities for advanced technology vehicles.
H.R. 3246, the “Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009” covers research on light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as infrastructure and pilot programs. Ultimately targeting the development of technologies and practices that improve the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions of vehicles produced in the US, the bill also aims to “ensure a proper balance and diversity of Federal investment in vehicle technologies”, while strengthening “partnerships between Federal and State governmental agencies and the private and academic sectors.”
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Better Place Debuts EV Services Platform and Partners at Frankfurt Motor Show
September 16, 2009
| A screenshot of Better Place’s in-car EV services software, code-named AutOS, introduced at Frankfurt. Click to enlarge. |
Better Place introduced its electric vehicle (EV) services platform at the Frankfurt Motor Show, in conjunction with Renault’s unveiling of the Fluence ZE Concept with Quickdrop (switchable) battery system and an expanded agreement with Renault, committing both companies to a volume of at least 100,000 electric cars in Israel and Denmark by 2016. (Earlier post.)
Better Place announced it is working with Continental of Germany, Flextronics, Intel, Microsoft, and TÜV Rheinland on different aspects of its EV services platform and infrastructure: Flextronics for charge points; Continental, Microsoft and Intel for the in-car computing platform AutOS; and TÜV Rheinland for safety certification.
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Renault Unveils Four Concept EVs and Quickdrop Battery Switch System; Commits to 100,000 EVs with Better Place
September 15, 2009
| Aerial view of the four ZE Concepts: Twizy, Kangoo, Zoe, and Fluence. Click to enlarge. |
At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault unveiled four Lithium-ion battery electric concept vehicles that provide a preview of Renault’s range of production electric vehicles to be released from 2011 on: Twizy ZE Concept (city car); Zoe ZE Concept (compact car); Fluence ZE Concept (5 passenger sedan); and Kangoo ZE Concept (electric van).
In addition to standard charge and quick charge option, Renault also highlighted the exclusive “Quickdrop” system for battery switching at an exchange station such as that being developed by Better Place. Renault and Better Place also announced an expansion of their current agreement by committing to a volume of at least 100,000 electric cars in Israel and Denmark by 2016.
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Süd-Chemie to Supply Evonik with Lithium Iron Phosphate Materials for Automotive and Industrial Batteries
September 14, 2009
Süd-Chemie AG will supply Evonik Industries AG with novel lithium iron phosphate materials for use in the next generation of lithium-ion batteries for automobiles and other industrial applications.
Under the LITARION brand, Evonik Litarion GmbH produces electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. Evonik has also developed a novel ceramic separator (SEPARION) to significantly boost both the efficiency and safety of large-format lithium-ion cells. Li-Tec—a joint venture operated by Evonik Industries (50.1%) and Daimler AG (49.9%—uses the components supplied by Litarion to produce large-format lithium-ion battery cells. (Earlier post.)
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New Silicon Nanotube Anodes for Li-ion Batteries Hold Capacity and Efficiency Even After 200 Cycles
September 13, 2009
| Rate capability (top) and cycle life performance (bottom) of the Si nanotubes anodes in pouch-type Li-ion cells between 2.75 and 4.3 V to 200 cycles. C rate for the cycle test was 1C. Credit, ACS, Park et al. 2009. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers from South Korea and Stanford University, led by Dr. Jaephil Cho at Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST) and Dr. Yi Cui at Stanford, have developed another approach to silicon-based anodes for Li-ion batteries that show promise for capacity and efficiency retention over cycling.
Prepared by reductive decomposition of a silicon precursor in an alumina template and etching, the Si nanotubes show a very high reversible charge capacity of 3,247 mAh/g with Coulombic efficiency of 89%, and also demonstrate a superior capacity retention even at a 5C rate (=15 A/g). A Li-ion full cell consisting of a LiCoO2 cathode and Si nanotube anode demonstrated 10 times higher capacity than commercially available cells with graphite anodes even after 200 cycles.
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UK Technology Strategy Board Awards £10M+ for Development of Efficient Electrical Systems for Hybrids and EVs
September 10, 2009
The UK Technology Strategy Board is awarding more than £10 million (US$16.5 million) to projects to develop ultra-efficient electrical systems for electric and hybrid vehicles. This is the first set of awards resulting from a competition run under the Integrated Delivery Programme, a £200-million (US$331-million) investment program that will help accelerate the introduction of low carbon vehicles onto UK roads. More than 30 UK companies and seven universities will take part in the development projects, which have a total value, including contributions from the companies, of £20 million (US$33 million).
This is the second major recent investment in electric vehicle technology by the Technology Strategy Board, which is sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). In June, TSB announced it will invest £25 million to enable more than 340 low carbon vehicles to be road-tested across the UK over the next eighteen months. (Earlier post.)
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Ioxus Developing Higher Power Density Ultracapacitors
September 02, 2009
Ioxus, a young (2006) ultracapacitor spin-off from Custom Electronics, an established supplier of high-reliability capacitors to commercial and military clients since 1964, is targeting the development of higher power density, compact ultracapacitors, applied in a full range of applications spanning military, industrial and automotive needs. (Earlier post.)
Typical ultracapacitors are characterized by high power density compared to batteries (but poor energy density), as well as quick charge and discharge. Ioxus says that the power density of its 100F carbon-carbon ultracapacitor solutions is 2x over that of competitive comparable 100F cells. On the larger cells, such as the 2000F, Ioxus offers 20% more power than Ness, is at parity with Maxwell, and is higher in volumetric density, according to the company.
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Zinc-Air Battery Company ReVolt Applying for $30M in Recovery Act Funds; Targeting EV Applications
September 01, 2009
ReVolt Technology, LLC, a spin-off from Norway’s SINTEF that is developing rechargeable zinc-air batteries (earlier post), is applying for $30 million in grants from US Department of Energy (DOE) under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to accelerate the commercialization of large format zinc-air batteries for energy storage and electric vehicle applications.
ReVolt’s initial plans called for addressing the mobile consumer electronics market first. Revolt’s zinc-air technology offers up to three times the energy density on a volumetric basis and twice on a gravimetric basis of lithium-ion, according to the company.
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Ener1 to Take 31% Stake in EV Maker Think Global; Think City Production Moves to Valmet in Finland
August 27, 2009
Lithium-ion battery manufacturer Ener1, Inc. is taking the lead among a group of investors that plans to inject $47 million of equity funding into Think Global AS, the Norwegian electric vehicle producer. Ener1, Inc. is the parent company of EnerDel, a leading manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion automotive battery systems based in Indianapolis and an existing supplier to Think. (Earlier post.)
Ener1, Inc. has agreed to invest approximately $18 million in three tranches, and convert an additional $3.0 million in debt for convertible preferred shares of Think, effectively transferring the 10% equity stake held by Ener1 Group to Ener1, Inc. Once all stages are complete, Ener1, Inc. will hold approximately a 31% stake in the company.
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Mitsubishi Heavy to Enter Lithium-ion Secondary (Rechargeable) Battery Business
August 26, 2009
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has decided to build a commercial production verification plant in Nagasaki Prefecture and launch its operation by autumn 2010 in a move toward the company’s full-scale entry into the lithium-ion secondary (rechargeable) battery market.
The new plant, to be built within the company’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, will have a production capacity of 66 MWh of batteries a year, which is equivalent to 400,000 medium-size cells. The batteries were developed in a 20-year-long joint research and development project with Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
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Chinese Researchers Develop LFP Cathode Material That Is a “Reasonable Compromise” Between Battery Capacity and Supercapacitor Power
August 20, 2009
| Three-dimensional network structure of mixed-conductive electrode material. Credit: CAS. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology successfully designed and synthesized a nanocomposite of LiFePO4 nanoparticles embedded in nanoporous carbon matrix (LFP-NP@NPCM) as a cathode material for high-power, high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and supercapacitors. A report on their work was published in a recent issue of the journal Advanced Materials.
The nano-LiFePO4/nanoporous carbon matrix nanocomposite offers a “reasonable compromise” between rate and capacity, according to the team. In other words, it enables an electrode that combines the high storage capacity typical of batteries with the high power output of ultracapacitors.
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UC Davis Study Finds That Ultracapacitor-based Micro-Hybrid Systems Can Deliver Substantial Fuel Economy Improvements
August 17, 2009
Using a micro-hybrid system featuring carbon/carbon ultracapacitor units as energy storage can result in significant increases in fuel economy over a baseline conventional vehicle, according to a study by Dr. Andrew Burke at UC Davis.
In a series of simulations of mid-size passenger cars using ultracapacitors in micro-hybrid, charge-sustaining hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrain designs, the micro-hybrids delivered improvements of about 40% on the FUDS (Federal Urban Driving Schedule) and ECE-EUD (Economic Commission for Europe-Extra Urban Driving) cycles and 20% on the Federal Highway and US06 cycles.
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FEV, Inc. Partnering with EIG on Li-Ion Pack Development for Range-Extended Electric Vehicle Project
FEV, Inc. is developing a 21 kWh Li-ion battery pack utilizing cells from Korea-based Energy Innovation Group (EIG Ltd.) for a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (ReEV) project. The battery pack is expected to be demonstrated in a ReEV concept Dodge Caliber that was shown by FEV at the 2009 SAE World Congress. (Earlier post.)
The complementary cooperation combines the engineering and test core competencies of FEV with the lithium-ion battery core competencies of EIG. The cooperation will enable joint development of solutions to the automotive electrification challenges of both FEV and EIG customers, FEV said.
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Ford’s View on Electrification Enablers; Looking for Battery Commonization
August 15, 2009
| Ford’s view of the different enablers for successful vehicle electrification. Click to enlarge. |
Noting that “once you plug the vehicle into the wall, success becomes a team sport”, Mike Tinskey, manager of Ford’s sustainability activities focused on electric vehicles and infrastructure, outlined what Ford sees as enablers for electrification (“controllable success factors”), during a presentation at the Plug-in 2009 conference in Long Beach this past week.
Prior to his current position, Tinskey led Ford’s product planning and product management activities for hybrids and for developing and implementing the electric vehicle strategy announced last January (earlier post). During his talk, he suggested that migrating to some battery commonality would be a huge win for the industry simply because it would support a more rapid achievement of the higher production volumes required to bring prices down.
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Bright Automotive To Convert VW Transporters to Plug-ins
August 11, 2009
| A VW Transporter van. Click to enlarge. |
Start-up Bright Automotive, which in May unveiled its IDEA concept series plug-in hybrid light commercial van (earlier post), will convert VW Transporter vans with the series hybrid Bright powertrain as a bridge between the concept and the production version of the IDEA.
Conversions are expensive, noted Lyle Shuey, Bright VP of Marketing and Sales, and the converted Transporters will not be as efficient as the purpose-built IDEA. But “Bright-ifying” the Transporter provides fleet owners with a more immediate solution that delivers benefits compared to the conventional Transporter, and allows them to begin the learning and preparation to plug-in.
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AeroVironment Awarded Patent for Electric Vehicle Energy Data Management and Control; Web-based System Solution for EV Battery Optimization
August 10, 2009
AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) has been granted a patent (no. 7,444,192) by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for technology that facilitates the optimal charging, management, control and maintenance of battery packs, chargers and electric vehicles (EVs).
AV’s technology is directly applicable to battery packs, chargers and battery-powered EVs that can be linked to the electric utility network and managed by a “smart grid” controller. The technology is designed to gather data from the EV or the charger, and uses the data to determine whether the rate of charge is optimized for the vehicle’s performance, the battery’s long-term health, and the utility’s power availability.
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Stanford Researchers Take Another Approach to Silicon Anodes for Li-ion Batteries with Carbon-Silicon Core-Shell Nanowires
August 06, 2009
| Top: Schematic illustration of Si coating onto carbon nanofibers (left) Bare CNFs. (right) C-Si core-shell NWs. Bottom: Cycling performance of a-Si coated CNFs (C-Si core-shell NWs). Credit: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Stanford, led by Dr. Yi Cui, have developed another approach to a silicon-based lithium-ion anode with the introduction of a novel design of carbon-silicon core-shell nanowires for high power and long life electrodes.
These nanowires have a high charge storage capacity of 2,000 mAh g-1 and good cycling life. They also have a high Coulombic efficiency of 90% for the first cycle and 98-99.6% for the following cycles. A paper on their work was published 5 August in the ACS journal Nano Letters.
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DOE Award Supports Largest Single Deployment of EVs and Infrastructure Yet; Up to 5,000 Nissan LEAF EVs in 5 Regions
August 05, 2009
One of the projects receiving support in the massive $2.4-billion award for advanced battery and electric drive projects from the US Department of Energy (DOE) (earlier post) will result in the largest deployment of an electric vehicle and supporting charging infrastructure yet undertaken.
Lead grant applicant Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, received a $99.8 million award, which will be matched by regional project participants for a combined value of approximately $199.6 million, for installation of approximately 2,500 charging stations in each of five markets: Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region. The project will also deploy up to 1,000 Nissan LEAF EVs (earlier post) in each market, for a total EV deployment of up to 5,000 units.
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President Obama Announces 48 Projects to Receive $2.4B in Grants for Next-Generation of Batteries and Electric Vehicles; To be Combined with $2.4B in Industry Cost-Share
President Obama announced 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects that will receive $2.4 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects, selected through a highly competitive process by the Department of Energy (DOE), are intended to accelerate the development of US manufacturing capacity for batteries and electric drive components as well as the deployment of electric drive vehicles.
The announcement marks the single largest investment in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles ever made. Industry officials expect that this $2.4 billion investment, coupled with another $2.4 billion in cost-share from the award winners, will result directly in the creation tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs in the US battery and auto industries.
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BMW Selects SB LiMotive for Li-ion Batteries for Megacity EV
August 03, 2009
BMW has selected SB LiMotive—the 50:50 joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI (earlier post)—as a supplier for Li-ion batteries for the upcoming Megacity vehicle, an electric city vehicle planned for the first half of the next decade (earlier post).
The Megacity vehicles, with a pure electric drive or an extremely efficient combustion engine, are to be the first of a whole family of very-low-emission vehicles, Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Management Board of BMW, said during the annual meeting in Munich in May.
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New Graphene Nanomaterial Could Result in More Fuel-Efficient Airplanes and Cars; Applications in Energy Storage
July 31, 2009
| Exfoliated Graphite NanoPlatelets. Bottom: lateral and edge views. Source: MSU, XG Sciences. Click to enlarge. |
A Michigan State University (MSU) researcher and his students have developed a nanomaterial—xGnP Exfoliated Graphite NanoPlatelets—that makes plastic stiffer, lighter and stronger and could result in more fuel-efficient airplanes and cars as well as more durable medical and sports equipment and enhanced energy storage systems.
The key to the new material’s capabilities is a fast and inexpensive process for separating layers of graphite (graphene) into stacks less than 10 nanometers in thickness but with lateral dimensions anywhere from 500 nm to tens of microns, coupled with the ability to tailor the particle surface chemistry to make it compatible with water, resin or plastic systems.
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EnerDel Teams With Nissan on Electrolyte Research at Argonne Lab
July 30, 2009
Lithium-ion automotive battery producer EnerDel and Nissan Motor Co. are teaming up to co-fund research at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) on a new electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries.
EnerDel, Nissan and ANL are not disclosing a great deal of information about the R&D project at this point. Dr. Khalil Amine of Argonne said that the system to be developed is based on a self-extinguished silane-based electrolyte with high conductivity, low viscosity and that is very stable against oxidation and reduction for long-life batteries. The work will focus specifically on the Manganese spinel system, according to Dr. Amine. Both EnerDel and AESC, Nissan’s Li-ion JV, work with that chemistry.
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AIST Developing New Lithium-Air Battery; “Lithium Fuel Cell”
July 27, 2009
| Long-term discharge curve of the newly developed lithium-air cell. Source: AIST. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Japan’s AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) are developing a lithium-air cell with a new structure (a set of three different electrolytes) to avoid degradation and performance problems of conventional lithium-air cells.
The newly developed lithium-air cell has shown a continuous cathode discharge capacity of 50,000 mAh g-1 (per unit mass of the carbon, catalyst and binder). By comparison, conventional Li-ion batteries offer 120-150 mAh g-1 (active material + conduction assisting carbon + binder), and conventional lithium-air cells offer 700-3,000 mAh g-1. The research was presented earlier this year at an Electrochemical Society of Japan meeting held in Kyoto.
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Nissan to Build Li-ion Battery Plants for EVs in the UK and Portugal
July 20, 2009
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., within the Renault-Nissan Alliance, plans to build two plants for the production of its advanced lithium-ion batteries in Europe. The governments of the UK and Portugal have offered to extend financial assistance and other support to ensure that Nissan locates the proposed plants within their respective countries.
The two plants are scheduled to supply the advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles to be produced by the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The projected annual capacity for each plant is 60,000 units. Furthermore, the Renault-Nissan Alliance continues its discussion with other governments in Europe to identify other battery plant locations to meet volume requirements.
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Exide Technologies, SRNL and University of Idaho to Collaborate to Advance Lead-Acid Battery Chemistry
July 18, 2009
Exide Technologies entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the University of Idaho to develop and commercialize improvements on lead-acid battery technology for applications including hybrid electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
SRNL is the applied research and development laboratory at the US Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site. This project is part of SRNL’s portfolio of research and development programs in support of energy storage, hydrogen, nuclear energy, and renewables such as wind and biofuels. The laboratory’s scientists have recently developed unique glass microsphere technology now being considered and developed for a variety of commercial uses, including battery additives to enhance performance. (Earlier post.)
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Ener1 to Provide Lithium-Ion Packs for Volvo Cars V70 PHEV Demonstration
July 13, 2009
Volvo Car Corporation has selected lithium-ion battery systems designed and produced by Ener1, Inc. to power a pair of plug-in diesel-electric hybrid (PHEV) V70 demonstration cars being put through their paces across Europe this fall as part of a development program leading up to the planned 2012 commercial launch of a production plug-in model.
The PHEV demo project is a joint venture between Volvo and Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest electric utility companies and a leading proponent of electric vehicle infrastructure build-out. (Earlier post.)
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Magna Steyr to Provide Li-ion Battery Systems for Volvo I-SAM Heavy-Duty Hybrids; A123Systems Cells
July 10, 2009
| Magna Steyr’s emerging battery pack portfolio. The heavy-duty line is the first to enter series production. Source: Magna Steyr. Click to enlarge. |
Magna Steyr, an operating unit of Magna International Inc., will produce lithium-ion battery systems for Volvo Group. The battery systems will be integrated into Volvo’s city buses, heavy-duty distribution vehicles and refuse trucks using the I-SAM parallel hybrid system.
Production of these battery systems, which incorporate A123Systems’ 32113 Li-ion cells, will begin in August 2009 at Magna Steyr’s facility in Graz, Austria.
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ReVolt Technology and BASF in Joint Development Agreement for Zinc-Air Battery System
July 09, 2009
| Energy densities of different battery technologies. Source: ReVolt. Click to enlarge. |
ReVolt Technology Ltd, a technology company which has developed a rechargeable zinc-air battery (earlier post), and BASF have entered a joint-development agreement to speed the development and commercialization of ReVolt’s rechargeable zinc-air battery system. Revolt’s zinc-air technology offers up to three times the energy density on a volumetric basis and twice on a gravimetric basis of lithium-ion, according to the company.
Under the agreement, BASF will use its expertise in material science as well as electrochemistry to further advance the technology. BASF will supply key component materials and jointly developed subsystem elements necessary for the continued development and commercialization of ReVolt’s rechargeable zinc-air batteries.
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Daimler, Evonik Automotive Li-ion JV to Build Factory This Fall in Kamenz; Application in Mercedes Vehicles from 2012
July 06, 2009
Deutsche Accumotive GmbH & Co. KG, the automotive lithium-ion battery joint venture formed in 2008 by Daimler AG and Evonik Industries AG (earlier post), will begin construction of its production facility this autumn in Kamenz, Germany. Production is slated to begin in 2011, with the first application of Li-ion battery systems in Mercedes vehicles from 2012.
Initial capacity of the plant is planned to be up to 300,000 cells per year, all being targeted for Mercedes vehicles; in the future, the joint venture plans to sell batteries to third parties.
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ECOtality Establishes Joint Venture to Manufacture and Distribute Electric Vehicle Charging Systems in China
ECOtality, Inc. has signed a letter of intent to enter into a joint venture with Shenzhen Goch Investment, Ltd. that will provide US$15 million to establish manufacturing and distribution operations for electric vehicle (EV) charging systems in China.
To support the Company’s anticipated expansion, ECOtality received a combined US$2.5 million direct investment from Shenzhen Goch and existing ECOtality institutional shareholders.
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Bosch: Electrification is Coming, But Combustion Engines to Dominate for Another 20 Years
July 01, 2009
| In the long run, the large variety of drivetrain concepts will give way to electric drive. Source: Bosch. Click to enlarge. |
While full electric powertrains (battery and fuel cell) will at some point become pervasive in light-duty vehicles, the dominance of the internal-combustion engine will remain unchallenged over the next twenty years, according to Robert Bosch GmbH executives at their annual International Automotive Press Briefing in Boxberg, Germany. This is due in part to important technological challenges to powertrain electrification that must first be overcome and in part to ongoing efficiency improvements in combustion engine technology.
As a supplier, Bosch is active in both areas, said Dr. Bernd Bohr, chairman of the Bosch Automotive Group. Bosch is working hard to get the electric drive of the future readied for large-scale series production, while also doing its utmost to further improve the internal-combustion engine for decades to come, Bohr said. The company is investing €3 billion (US$ 4.25 billion) in R&D in the automotive technology sector in 2009.
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IBM Almaden Lab Exploring Lithium-Air Batteries for Next-Generation Energy Storage
June 24, 2009
| General schematic of a lithium-air battery. Adapted from Ogasawara et al. Click to enlarge. |
Leveraging expertise in materials science, nanotechnology, green chemistry and supercomputing, scientists at IBM Research’s Almaden lab in San Jose, California, are undertaking a multi-year research initiative around a grid-scale, efficient, affordable electrical energy storage network. The team plans to explore rechargeable Lithium-Air systems, which could offer 10 times the energy capacity of lithium-ion systems.
IBM intends to partner with industry leaders, academia and others in this collaborative endeavor. The company would license any intellectual property that may result from this research rather than manufacturing battery cells.
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First Three Conditional Loan Commitments Under DOE’s ATVM Program go to Ford Motor Company, Nissan Motors and Tesla Motors
June 23, 2009
The Obama Administration is awarding $8 billion in three conditional loan commitments for the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies: $5.9 billion for Ford Motor Company; $1.6 billion to Nissan North America, Inc.; and $465 million to Tesla Motors.
These are the first conditional loan commitments reached as part of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program. The Department plans to make additional loans under this program over the next several months to large and small auto manufacturers and parts suppliers up and down the production chain.
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DOE Announces Nearly $11 Million for Advanced Automotive Battery Research, Development, and Demonstration Projects
June 16, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected seven cost-shared research projects for the development of advanced batteries for electric drive vehicles. Topics include improved anode materials, improved mechanisms for safety and management, electrode manufacturing, and lithium-sulfur chemistry.
The total DOE investment for these projects is up to $10.96 million over three years, subject to annual appropriations. Private sector contributions will further increase the financial investment for a total of up to $19.36 million.
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Near-Term Prospects for Automotive Li-ion Batteries: 21% of Hybrid and EV Market by 2011
| In 2011, the largest dollar volume for Li-ion automotive applications could come from the mini EV and EREV segment. Representative battery pack size is below each segment. Data: Dr. Menahem Anderman. Click to enlarge. |
In the near-term (2011), lithium-ion batteries could grow to represent about 21% of the hybrid and EV advanced battery market, according to Dr. Menahem Anderman, President of Advanced Automotive Batteries and the organizer of last week’s Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009.
That projection, which excludes engineering prototypes, the China market, battery packs made from 18650 consumer cells, and micro-hybrid applications, represents about a $321-million market in 2011, compared to a projected $1,232-million automotive market for NiMH batteries ($1,553 million combined), Anderman said in a presentation at the conference.
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Ricardo Generic Battery Management System Designed to Provide Flexibility to OEMs
June 15, 2009
A battery management system is a key component of advanced automotive electric energy storage systems. Engineering firm Ricardo has developed a generic battery management system (BMS) for Li-ion batteries that is independent of cell size or chemistry. The effort is designed to help OEMs in response to the wide variety of cell-level Li-ion chemistries, with different cost, reliability, life, safety and availability factors. Overall, the BMS is designed to be universal—suitable for other energy storage systems such as NiMH or ultracapacitors as well as Li-ion batteries.
The availability of such a generic BMS could reduce the cost to OEMs of changing a cell supplier or even cell chemistry. It would provide flexibility for dual sourcing—e.g., if a current supplier could not meet production volumes—and would reduce risk by more cost-effectively supporting future changes. Dr. Peter Miller, Director of Ricardo’s Electrical/Electronic Engineering efforts, provided an overview of the project at the recent Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009 (AABC 2009) in Long Beach.
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3.4 kWh EIG Li-ion Pack for Plug-in Applications
June 13, 2009
| Rendering of the pack. Click to enlarge. |
At the recent Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009 (AABC 2009), Korea-based EIG Ltd. described a prototype lithium-ion battery system targeted at a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) application. The system shows 58 kW discharge power output at 50% depth of discharge (DOD), with 3.4 kWh useable energy. (A 3.4 kWh capacity matches the USABC short-term goal for a 10-mile equivalent electric range PHEV.)
The PHEV pack is based on 14 Ah lithium-ion polymer cells, with carbon-coated LiFePO4 as the cathode material. Carbon coating is a technique used to overcome the low conductivity of lithium iron phosphate by enhancing conduction on the particle scale. (Earlier post.) The cell design target was 120 Wh kg-1 and power density of 2,500 W kg-1. 96 cells were serially connected to obtain the 307V battery pack.
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SK Energy Has Two HEV, Four PHEV Li-ion Cells, Packs Ready for Production
June 12, 2009
South Korea-based SK Energy has now developed six lithium-ion cells: two targeted at hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) applications and four targeted at plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) applications. Jeon Oh, SK Energy’s Leader, Corporate R&D Center/HEV Battery Project, provided an update on the company’s Li-ion automotive battery activities at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009 this week in Long Beach.
SK Energy is Asia’s fourth largest energy provider, and was Korea’s first oil refining company, now with a domestic market share of 38%. The company was the first Korean company, and the third in the world, to independently develop a lithium-ion battery separator, which features proprietary technology for low shrinkage and heat resistance.
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International Battery Introduces Standardized Modules for Large-Format Lithium-Ion Batteries
June 10, 2009
International Battery, a US-based manufacturer, designer, and developer of large-format lithium-ion rechargeable cells, modules and packs, introduced three classes of standardized modules for its large-format lithium batteries—Nested, Slim and Wide—to accommodate various customer-specific geometries. Each module can supply up to 4 kWh of storage.
These new modules, introduced at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009 (AABC), incorporate eight large format International Battery cells connected in series. Each cell has a unique recognizable Battery Management System (BMS) board.
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New Metal-Oxide Enhanced Iron Phosphate Material Offers Higher Energy Density
June 09, 2009
| Capacity of one of the LFP-NCO formulations. Source: Aleees. Click to enlarge. |
Taiwan-based Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry (Aleees = Always Leading & Everlasting Energy for the Earth & uS) has developed a new iron phosphate (LFP) material for use in a lithium-ion battery cathode. The patent-pending LFP-NCO (Nano-Co-crystalline Olivine) LiFePO4·zMO' (M'O = metal oxide) material is designed to address the low conductivity problem of traditional iron phosphate materials, reduce impurities in LiFePO4, maintain the material consistency and offer an attractive price-performance ratio.
Dr. Pin-Jiun Wu, of Aleees and Taiwan’s National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, presented the material during the Advanced Automotive Battery 2009 (AABC 2009) symposia and conference this week in Long Beach, California.
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Yardney and Coda Automotive Form JV for US Automotive Li-ion Systems Production; Lishen Expected to Participate
June 08, 2009
| 34 kWh battery pack for Coda sedan. Click to enlarge. |
Connecticut-based Yardney Technical Products, Inc. and California-based Coda Automotive have entered into a joint venture (Coda Battery Systems LLC) to design, manufacture and sell automotive-grade, lithium-ion battery systems in the United States. Coda Battery Systems LLC submitted a proposal under the stimulus grant program to the Department of Energy on 19 May for funding to build manufacturing at a facility in Enfield, CT.
Yardney is a developer of advanced battery systems, targeting US military and other government agencies. Coda Automotive is currently safety and durability testing its Hafei-built all-electric highway sedan for the mass market.
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GM Opens New Global Battery Systems Lab
General Motors further expanded its battery research and development capabilities by opening what it called the largest and most technologically advanced battery lab in the US on its Technical Center campus in Warren, MI.
The new Global Battery Systems Lab will lead GM’s global advanced battery engineering resources and expedite the introduction of electrically driven vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt, as well as plug-in hybrid and hybrid-electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles.
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BASF to Commercialize Argonne Li-ion Composite Cathode Material; Seeks Funds for Plant in Ohio
June 05, 2009
| Argonne’s patented composite cathode materials (xLi2MnO3·(1-x)LiMO2) offer a good blend of safety, capacity and cost, according to BASF. Source: Argonne. Click to enlarge. |
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and BASF have signed a world-wide licensing agreement to mass produce and market Argonne’s patented composite cathode materials to manufacturers of advanced lithium-ion batteries. BASF will conduct further lithium-ion battery material application development in its current Beachwood, Ohio facility.
Contingent upon winning a DOE grant under Recovery Act - Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative (DE-FOA-0000026), BASF plans to build one of North America’s largest cathode material production facilities in Elyria, Ohio.
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Coda Automotive to Bring China-Built Electric Mid-size Sedan to California Market in 2010; New JV with Lishen for Automotive Li-ion Systems
June 03, 2009
| Components in the Coda. Click to enlarge. |
Coda Automotive, a new company formed and developed under the stewardship of entrepreneur Miles Rubin (known for his marketing and sales of low-speed, electric fleet vehicles under the Miles Electric Vehicles brand), will introduce an affordable, full-performance all-electric sedan built by Hafei in China to the California market in 2010.
Additionally, the company, which has an existing long-term sourcing contract with Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co., Ltd., (Lishen) for lithium-ion batteries used in the Coda, announced the establishment of a global joint venture with Lishen to design, manufacture and sell transportation and utility power storage battery systems. Coda will own 40% of the JV, with Lishen holding 60%.
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Boston-Power Pursuing $100M in Federal Funds for Li-Ion Plant in Massachusetts; Introduces High-Energy “Swing” for EVs and PHEVs
June 01, 2009
Boston-Power, Inc., maker of the long-lasting, fast-charging Sonata Li-ion battery for laptops, is planning to build a 455,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Auburn, Massachusetts that would complement its existing China-based operations. The company is also applying its battery technology in the new high-energy Swing Li-ion cell for battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
With support from Massachusetts officials, Boston-Power is seeking approximately $100 million under the US Department of Energy’s advanced battery and cell manufacturing grant program established as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The company is also pursuing funds through a proposed program allocation in the FY10 federal budget under the Defense Production Act, which encourages the building of manufacturing facilities in the United States that are important for national security reasons.
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Vehicle Electrification a Key Strategic Initiative for Magna; Steady Increases in Capabilities and Technology Portfolio Over Past Few Years
May 30, 2009
Canada-based international auto supplier and contract assembler Magna International, now with a Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of Opel from General Motors (earlier post), sees vehicle electrification as one of its key strategic initiatives. Accordingly, it has been steadily increasing its capabilities with hybrid and electric vehicle technologies over the past several years.
At Magna’s Annual General Meeting, held earlier this month, Magna Co-Chief Executive Officer Siegfried Wolf noted that Magna has the capability to develop and produce many of the key components that are new and unique to electric vehicles. A key competitive advantage for the company, he said, is its “ability to integrate these new technologies into the complete vehicle and to develop complete vehicle concepts for pure electric mobility.”
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GM and University of Michigan Developing Method for Direct In-Situ Measurement of Li+ Transport Rates in a Li-ion Cell; Insights into Cell Degradation
May 27, 2009
| The measurement method is based on the differences in color of electrode material after intercalation of different amounts of lithium. Shown is an example of graphite from Maire (2008). Click to enlarge. |
Researchers from General Motors R&D Center and the University of Michigan are developing a method for the direct in situ measurement of lithium ion (Li+) transport rates in a functioning Li-ion cell. Steve Harris from GM, the lead researcher on the project, presented a paper on the method at the 215th biannual meeting of the Electrochemical Society (ECS 215) this week in San Francisco (and is continuing on to present the work at institutions such as Caltech).
Harris’s goal for the project is to try to understand degradation mechanisms of lithium-ion cells. Degradation of cell capacity over time and in extreme temperatures or duty cycles is a problem for any battery application, but for electric drive vehicle applications the problem is particularly acute, given requirements for long calendar life and a stable contribution to vehicle power and energy.
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Celgard Seeks DOE Grant for Expansion of Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Separator Capacity
May 26, 2009
Celgard, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polypore International, Inc. and a leading global supplier of microporous separators used in primary and secondary (rechargeable) lithium-ion batteries, recently submitted an application for grant funding under the US Department of Energy (DOE) Electric Drive Vehicle (EDV) Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative (DE-FOA-0000026).
Celgard is seeking federal funds through this grant initiative to increase its lithium-ion battery separator production capacity in the United States. The proposed capacity expansion would be implemented at Celgard’s existing Charlotte, North Carolina, facility and at an additional manufacturing facility that would be built at a second US location in the Southeast.
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Broad-Based Challenges in Battery Implementation
In an invited paper presented at the 215th biannual meeting of the Electrochemical Society (ECS 215) being held in San Francisco this week, Professor Esther Takeuchi of the University of Buffalo provided a broad overview of the challenges “in implementing the science we develop” in commercially viable battery solutions, using a current project working with a silver vanadium phosphorous oxide (Ag2VO2PO4) cathode material for an implantable cardiac device (ICD) as an example.
Dr. Takeuchi is the Greatbatch Professor of Advanced Power Sources at the University of Buffalo, and has the distinction of being the most prolific woman inventor in the US, holding 143 patents at last count. Prior to joining the university, she spent 23 years at Greatbatch, Inc., with her final position there being Chief Scientist, Center of Excellence.
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ANL Project on Actively Coupled Ultracapacitor-Battery System for PHEVs Attracting OEM Interest
May 20, 2009
| The actively coupled ultracapacitor-battery system has four primary components. Source: ANL. Click to enlarge. |
Work on a research project developing an actively coupled ultracapacitor-battery system targeted at plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) applications is attracting interest from a variety of OEMs both at a component and a system level, according to Argonne’s Ted Bohn, in his presentation at the Department of Energy Merit Review this week. The project is led by Argonne; Maxwell Technologies Inc. and Gold Peak Battery-USA are research partners in the project.
The objective of the project is to develop a high power and high energy electrical storage system that combines the strengths of each technology—high power density for ultracapacitors and high energy storage for Li-ion batteries—at equal or better system efficiency and net cost/density compared to current conventional Li-ion batteries.
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A123Systems’ Prismatic Cell Lineup: Up to 5,300 W/kg in High Power Cell, 20 Ah Cell for PHEVs
May 19, 2009
| A123Systems scalable prismatic module is reconfigurable for applications ranging from 1 kWh to more than 100 kWh. Source: A123Systems. Click to enlarge. |
At the Department of Energy (DOE) Annual Merit Review for the Hydrogen and Vehicle Technologies Programs, A123Systems co-founder Ric Fulop described the progress the company has made with two DOE-funded projects, one on high-power hybrid batteries, the other on plug-in hybrid battery development.
A123Systems, which began by manufacturing cylindrical format cells, is developing a portfolio of prismatic automotive cells funded through two USABC 50:50 cost share programs. The emerging prismatic lineup includes a 20Ah energy cell for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, with a targeted start of production (SOP) of 2009/2010; and 4Ah, 6Ah and 8Ah power cells for hybrids, with vehicle SOP of 2011/2012.
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Hitachi Develops Fourth-Generation, High Power Automotive Lithium-Ion Battery with 4,500 W/kg; Sampling to Start in the Fall
| The fourth-generation power cell. Click to enlarge. |
Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd., which develops and manufactures lithium-ion batteries for automotive applications, have developed a lithium-ion battery having a power density of 4,500 W/kg—1.7 times the output of the company’s current generation of mass-produced, automotive lithium-ion batteries. (Earlier post.)
Sampling of the new battery by domestic and overseas car manufacturers will start in the fall.
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Daimler Takes 10% Stake in Tesla; Strategic Partnership to Collaborate on Future Models
Daimler AG has acquired an equity stake of nearly 10% in Tesla Motors Inc. The two companies have already been working closely to integrate Tesla’s lithium-ion battery packs and charging electronics into the first 1,000 units of Daimler’s electric smart car. (Earlier post.)
This investment deepens the relationship between the two, and enables the partners to collaborate even more closely on the development of battery systems, electric drive systems and in individual vehicle projects. Executives from both companies announced the arrangement this morning in a webcast press conference.
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UK Researchers Developing Rechargeable Lithium-Air Battery; Up to 10X the Capacity of Current Li-ion Cells
May 18, 2009
| Diagram of the STAIR (St Andrews Air) cell. Oxygen drawn from the air reacts within the porous carbon to release the electrical charge in this lithium-air battery. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers in the UK are developing a rechargeable lithium-air battery that could deliver a ten-fold increase in energy capacity compared to that of currently available lithium-ion cells. The research work, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is being led by researchers at the University of St Andrews with partners at Strathclyde and Newcastle.
Initial results from the project delivered a capacity of 1,000 mAh g-1, while recent work has obtained results of up to 4,000 mAh g-1.
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Altair Nanotechnologies Partners with Amperex Technology to Accelerate Commercialization of Next-Generation Lithium-Titanate Batteries
Li-ion battery manufacturer Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (Altairnano) has entered a joint development agreement (JDA) with Amperex Technology Ltd. (ATL) to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation high-performance lithium-titanate battery cells. China-based ATL currently produces Lithium-ion polymer batteries under a license agreement with Valence Technology.
Under terms of the agreement, Altairnano and ATL will provide respective technical resources to focus on the engineering, design and testing of the next generation of rechargeable cells.
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Researchers Develop Electrode Materials for High-Capacity Li-S Battery Cells
| The galvanostatic discharge and charge profiles of the first cycle of CMK-3 + sulfur; CMK-3/S-145; and CMK-3/S-155. Source: Ji et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have developed electrode materials for Lithium-Sulfur batteries using a conductive mesoporous carbon framework that have demonstrated reversible capacities of up to 1,320 mAh g-1. A paper on their work appears online in the journal Nature Materials.
The Li-S battery is of interest due a high theoretical specific energy density (~2,600 Wh/kg) that exceeds that of conventional lithium-ion batteries by about a factor of five, good low-temperature performance, and its use of inexpensive and nontoxic raw materials. Last week, for example, BASF and Sion Power Corporation signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to accelerate the commercialization of Sion Power’s proprietary lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery technology for the electric vehicle (EV) market and other high-energy applications. (Earlier post.)
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BATT Awards $731,000 Contract for Development of Novel Electrolyte for Li-ion Batteries Based on New Salt
May 16, 2009
The Batteries for Advanced Transportation Technologies (BATT) program recently awarded a $731,000 contract to University of Rhode Island chemistry professor Brett Lucht, co-director of the URI Energy Center, for the development of new electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries (LIB). BATT is supported by US Department of Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technologies.
One of the components of the project, said Dr. Lucht, is a novel salt he and his colleagues presented at the 214th meeting of the Electrochemical Society in October 2008: Lithium Tetrafluorooxalatophosphate (LiPF4C2O4, LiF4OP).
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BASF and Sion Power to Collaborate on Lithium Sulfur Battery Technology; Targeting EV Market
May 15, 2009
| Configuration of a Li-S cell. Click to enlarge. |
Sion Power Corporation and BASF SE have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to accelerate the commercialization of Sion Power’s proprietary lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery technology for the electric vehicle (EV) market and other high-energy applications.
The Sion Power / BASF collaboration targets the development of battery materials to improve Li-S battery life and to increase the energy density and thus extend driving range of future EVs beyond what is currently available with alternative rechargeable battery technologies. Li-S technology already offers significant energy density and weight advantages over those existing technologies.
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Better Place Demonstrates Battery Switch Technology
May 13, 2009
| Demo vehicle moving into position for battery switch. Click image to see demonstration video. |
Better Place officially opened the Yokohama, Japan EV exhibit with the public debut of its automated battery switch system, designed to make long distance travel by EV convenient for customers.
Better Place selected the Nissan Dualis to demonstrate the battery switch technology. This crossover utility vehicle is not necessarily indicative as to any potential EV lineup by Nissan. The technology demonstration used specially-built 400V battery packs with standard lithium-ion cells from A123Systems. The cells were inserted into an enclosure built to fit this specific Nissan Dualis vehicle application.
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GE to Open Sodium-Metal Halide Battery Plant in New York
May 12, 2009
| GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt shows a sodium-metal halide battery cell at the press conference announcing the battery plant. Click to enlarge. |
GE will open a new battery manufacturing plant in Upstate New York that will serve as the main manufacturing facility for GE’s newly launched battery business. The battery business will be a part of GE Transportation and will serve customers in the rail, marine, mining, telecommunications and utility sectors.
GE says the planned facility will produce approximately 10 million sodium-metal halide cells each year—equivalent to 900 MWh of energy storage, or enough to support 1,000 GE hybrid locomotives. The first application will be GE’s hybrid locomotive, which will be commercialized in 2010. (Earlier post.)
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Saft and ESMA to Cooperate on Supercapacitor Development, Production and Commercialization; Heavy Diesels First Target
May 11, 2009
Saft has signed an agreement with ESMA, a Russian company, to cooperate in the development, production and commercialization of supercapacitors based on ESMA’s technology.
The agreement enables Saft to add the new supercapacitor technology to its portfolio of leading edge battery technologies. The first results will be seen later in 2009, when Saft’s US manufacturing facility in Valdosta, GA begins production of a new generation of asymmetric nickel supercapacitors that will work in combination with batteries on heavy vehicles in a large variety of markets including, but not limited to, industry or public transportation.
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EnerDel Signs Letter of Intent to Supply Lithium-Ion Batteries to Fisker Automotive; Inaugurates New Manufacturing Line
May 08, 2009
| Enerdel produces both high energy systems for EVs and PHEVs (left) using a hard carbon/mixed oxide chemistry and high power systems for hybrids (right) using a LTO/LMO chemistry. Source: EnerDel. Click to enlarge. |
EnerDel and Fisker, the independent American carmaker developing a line of plug-in vehicles for the global market, have signed a letter of intent for a potential long-term battery supply agreement. Results of reliability and performance testing will determine a final contract. The Fisker Karma is scheduled to be the first OEM plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) on the US market in June 2010.
Fisker currently plans to build 15,000 vehicles per year and market them through an existing network of 32 US retailers. A European retail network will be announced in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.
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European Automotive Industry Outlines R&D Priorities for EU Green Car Initiative
May 07, 2009
European automotive suppliers and vehicle manufacturers have united to submit a series of R&D priorities to the European Commission to shape the European Green Car Initiative (EGCI), announced by the EU. CLEPA (the European umbrella membership organization representing the interests of the global automotive supply industry) and EUCAR (the European Council for Automotive R&D from the major European passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers) jointly prepared the document.
The Green Car Initiative, a part of the European economic recovery plan, aims to allocate €5 billion (US$6.7 billion) through a Public Private Partnership to bolster innovation in the automotive sector and sustain its focus on environmental progress. The initiative complements the European Clean Transport Facility which, through the European Investment Bank, serves to provide more immediate financial relief to the sector.
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GM And University of Michigan Form GM/U-M Institute Of Automotive Research And Education; Focus On Fuel-Efficiency And Reinvention Of The Automobile
General Motors and the University of Michigan have formed the GM/U-M Institute of Automotive Research and Education, with a strategic focus on reinventing the automobile and developing the next generation of high-efficiency vehicles powered by diverse energy sources.
The Institute, which builds on more than 50 years of collaboration between the organizations, supplements GM’s ongoing research and development in key areas: advanced batteries, engine systems, smart materials and vehicle manufacturing.
