Saft Adds Lithium Iron Phosphate Technology to Line-up
25 April 2007
Saft Space and Defense Division (SDD) has added a new lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) technology to its product line-up. Saft will present this new product at the Advanced Automotive Battery and Ultracapacitor Conference (AABC) jointly with its supplier, Phostech, in May.
Saft says that these are the highest performance LiFePO4 cells available today, measured in specific power or specific energy. Saft says that the performance of the LiFePO4 product, while superior to competitive offerings using the same chemistry, will be nominally 20% - 30% inferior to its premier product range based on an LiNiCoAlO2 cathode. The interest in LiFePO4 is due to its good thermal stability, which can limit the outcome resulting from severe abuse.
Saft’s LiFePO4 products will be available in several Space and Defense Division standard formats. Saft SDD is developing standard modules and electronics to make the technology applicable. One of the challenges will be in providing the State of Charge in this technology and in maintaining good balancing of cells, both of which will be done with Saft’s electronics and software expertise.
I wonder if this is the one the French automakers will be getting?
Posted by: clett | 25 April 2007 at 08:46 AM
LiFePO4 batteries have very good qualities for EVs. They will operate from -45C to +70C (good for anywhere). You can fast charge them at 2C up to 85% charge. They have a 2000 cycle life (I'd like to see better). The best part is that they are very safe. Hopefully SAFT can get the price down a little.
Posted by: Neil | 25 April 2007 at 09:07 AM
Considering that these batteries will initially be available in "Space and Defense" forms factors I doubt they'll be pushing to make them cheap any time soon.
Posted by: Ron | 25 April 2007 at 11:33 AM