Hyperdrive goes in to production using Nissan LEAF batteries
22 September 2016
UK-based Hyperdrive Innovation has become the first company to secure the supply of Nissan’s LEAF lithium-ion battery technology for its own commercial products. The company is incorporating the Nissan-developed, UK-made new and used battery modules in its new intelligent battery systems which can be deployed by manufacturers to power electric and hybrid electric vehicles, as well as providing energy storage for off-grid and back-up utility supplies.
Hyperdrive officially launched the first product incorporating Nissan cell technology at the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle event at Millbrook earlier this month. The first battery packs are currently being fitted into a number of niche, off-highway vehicles and scalable energy storage for both domestic and commercial markets.
With the launch of the Nissan LEAF in 2010, we pioneered the EV market and we have worked consistently since to advance our battery technology so that we remain at the forefront of the sector. Hyperdrive’s new product will give customers and business owners the flexibility and power to control how and when they use energy and we are delighted to be sharing our battery technology and expertise to power this solution.
—Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan’s Vice President for manufacturing in the UK
Nissan’s electric vehicle range utilizes battery technology developed in house by the company and both the Nissan LEAF and battery manufacturing was launched in the UK at the brand’s Sunderland manufacturing facility in 2013.
There have been more fires caused by Lithium cells than Nuclear power plants and more houses burned. Zebra cells with much longer life are available and far more durable and are cheaper to make in large quantities.
The cheapest and fastest way to reduce carbon production of the electrical grid is with microturbine combined heating cooling and power co-generation with natural gas. Housing estates should be required to do such along with all commercial buildings.
For automobiles it is hydraulic hybrids that save money and half the fuel.
The UK should install cheap and fast to-build CANDU reactors to reduce carbon instead of dealing with the French who cannot complete one in ten or more years for themselves or Finland. Candu built two in China in under five years and under budget, and others in other parts of the world. They can be fueled with UK "waste" fuel if diluted with thorium or depleted uranium, and can burn all transuranics eventually if so fueled. Any plutonium from reprocessing or recycled warheads can be burned if highly diluted with thorium and make as much as 3 million kilowatt hours for every pound of plutonium and some more from the thorium, perhaps more than an equal amount with the elimination of over ten million pounds of CO2 possible release per pound of "waste" plutonium.
The uranium found in the ashes of coal fired power plants is being used to fuel some Nuclear plants. more than 30 nuclear power plants are operating in China and over twenty are being constructed.
Warhead plutonium diluted with reprocessed plutonium can no longer be used in any existing bomb construction or re-purified for such.
..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 23 September 2016 at 05:16 AM
Henry, we have Zebra batteries in most of the 5th generation Th!nk City EVs and they are problematic in fender-benders. Reports are that days later the battery dies permanently due to a cracked thermos bottle and insurance refuses to pay. On the other hand, the minority of Th!nk City EVs with Lithium Ion have no such issues. I don't see any automotive OEMs going back to hot batteries like Zebra, and even GE is getting out of it hot sodium Durathon batteries and moving to Lithium Ion. The market has spoken.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/ge-reboots-its-battery-business-with-a-foray-into-lithium-ion
Posted by: James McLaughlin | 23 September 2016 at 05:11 PM