USABC to evaluate Seeo Li-poly batteries with an eye to EV applications
14 January 2015
Seeo, a developer of advanced lithium polymer batteries, announced the award of a contract for technology assessment from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a collaborative organization of FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Under the contract, Seeo will deliver its DryLyte battery modules to USABC for testing under a nine month technology assessment program. These modules are based on Seeo’s current cell technology, which provides an energy density of 220 Wh/kg.
The contract encompasses a third-party assessment of the technical characteristics of Seeo’s high energy density batteries and validation of characteristics anticipated for electric vehicle applications. Co-funded by the US Department of Energy, the contract has a value of $298,736, including a 50% cost share by Seeo.
We are very pleased to engage with USABC and the major U.S. automobile manufacturers. As part of this contract Seeo will deliver several hundred cells from our pilot manufacturing line assembled in battery modules, each module providing 1.65 kWh storage capacity. We welcome the opportunity to independently validate their performance as we prepare to introduce the next leap forward in electric vehicle battery technology.
—Hal Zarem, President and CEO of Seeo
Seeo’s patented DryLyte technology was originally developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with sponsorship from the US Department of Energy. Seeo has an exclusive license to core patents from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and has more than 40 issued, exclusively licensed and pending patent applications.
Seeo’s cell design couples a solid lithium metal anode with a conventional porous lithium iron phosphate cathode. In contrast to existing liquid and gel-electrolyte battery technologies, Seeo’s electrolyte is entirely solid-state with no flammable or volatile components.
In December 2014, Seeo closed its largest funding round to date, and added Samsung Ventures Investment Corporation. Earlier investors Khosla Ventures and GSR Ventures also participated in the round. The invested capital is being used to accelerate the commercialization of Seeo’s high energy density advanced lithium polymer batteries. (Earlier post.)
These batteries better be INCREDIBLY cheap and have great characteristics in EVERY OTHER aspect because if they're wasting their time on a battery with only 220Wh/kg, then they are throwing away their money.
That is way behind what Panasonic already ships and what others including Nissan are saying they have coming by 2017 in mass production EVs.
What am I missing here?
Posted by: DaveD | 14 January 2015 at 10:24 AM
@DaveD:
Well, its non-flammable for a start, and the energy density seems to have the potential to be much increased.
See the earlier posts on it:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/12/20141209-seeo.html
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/10/ce-20111010.html
Posted by: Davemart | 14 January 2015 at 01:27 PM
The solid state aspect may be advantageous in certain specific applications etc?
Otherwise the 220 Wh/Kg energy density is rather pass history?
Posted by: HarveyD | 14 January 2015 at 01:28 PM
Solid state can lead to a more powerful battery at lower cost.
This is a contract for SEEO to show what they can do for EVs.
Posted by: SJC | 15 January 2015 at 10:04 AM