backtop

Print 7 comment(s) - last by fteoath64.. on Jan 3 at 5:58 AM
Projects aim to develop better batteries for automotive projects

Automakers know that the key to making viable electric vehicles and more capable hybrid vehicles is battery technology. Before the all-electric vehicle is viable for most drivers, it needs significantly longer range and faster charging.

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) includes Chrysler, Ford, and GM. The USABC has announced that it is accepting requests for proposal information for four projects relating to batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles. The four projects include the development of advanced high performance batteries for electric vehicle (EV) application; the development of advanced energy storage systems for high-power, lower energy-energy storage system (LEESS) for power-assist hybrid electric vehicle (PAHEV) application; the development of advanced high-performance batteries for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) application; and a technology assessment of proposed advanced battery technologies for EV applications.

Stipulations for the RFPIs include that the development be shared at a 50% minimum with the developers. The RFPIs are aimed at battery firms that use electrochemical energy storage technologies that can meet or come close to the USABC long-term criteria for EV applications. The main challenges to improving the automotive market penetration of energy storage systems include issues like power density, discharge rate, and the need to leave the system charged when in storage and still meet the needed life expectancy.

The program objective is to develop the batteries for the automotive market and the RFPIs specifically target battery technologies that use a carbon-based material as the negative electrode active material. Autoblog Green reports that the USABC has so far given out significant amounts of money to battery firms including $12.5 million to A123, $8.2 million to Johnson Controls-Saft, and it has cofounded $38 million in projects along with the DOE.

Current battery technology significantly limits the appeal of hybrid and all electric vehicles in the consumer market. The newly announced plug-in Prius project from Toyota will produce a vehicle that has an all-electric driving range of only about 12 miles. To reach that range, the vehicle uses a new lithium-ion battery pack rather than the NiMH batteries that the standard Prius hybrid uses.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RFPI's?
By mdogs444 on 12/28/2009 12:54:27 PM , Rating: 4
What are RFPI's? Do you mean RFP's and RFI's? They are two different things. Typically the RFI (Request for Information) is the first phase, with the RFP (Request for Proposal) being the second phase resulting in a narrowed down list from the RFI vendors.




RE: RFPI's?
By Smartless on 12/28/2009 1:51:44 PM , Rating: 2
Lol I did a double take as well, I guess Request for Proposal Information is when you have no idea who the takers will be.

As for EV Prius, range of 12 miles? Wow, I live on a fairly small island and my round trip is more than 12 miles lol.


Memo to Chuck,(CFO)...
By chagrinnin on 12/28/2009 8:38:50 PM , Rating: 3
from CEO to CFO: Need ASAFP 4 RFPIs for USABC ~ 1 EV ~ 1 LEESS ~ 1 PAHEV ~ 1 PHEV,..submit cc's to A123, JC-S, & DOE. Include ROR for NiMH & ROI for LI. AFAIC the DOE can ESAD but that's FYEO. IIRC their CEO has NFIAA. RFLMFAO,... TAFN, remember to CYA and Y3, & IAEF - RTFM.

PS: STBU :P
-----------
HMFIC




RE: Memo to Chuck,(CFO)...
By misuspita on 12/30/2009 12:50:58 PM , Rating: 2
Please translate that to the mere humans :)


Includes?
By foolsgambit11 on 12/29/2009 1:58:16 AM , Rating: 2
As far as I can tell, the USABC doesn't include Chrysler, Ford and GM; it's only Chrysler, Ford, and GM. Isn't that called collusion?




RE: Includes?
By bobsmith1492 on 12/29/2009 12:13:29 PM , Rating: 2
Collusion would be if they decided to set the price of the batteries they developed.

This is more of a collaboration in funding battery development. It's probably a good thing too; this way, they are more likely to share any new battery tech they develop. Otherwise one or the other of the companies might nab the rights and a spectacular new kind of battery could be stuck only in, say, Ford vehicles for ten years (before patents run out).


By fteoath64 on 1/3/2010 5:58:38 AM , Rating: 2
No word on whether "alternative" storage or energy production solutions are acceptable ?. Some "Free Energy" devices coming will not require any batteries, so what is the point of developong batteries that not only cost money but add weight and bulk to the vehicle ?.

I think other countries like Japan and CHina will come out with such devices sooner than US due to less constraints/controls on the Powers-to-be.




"If you look at the last five years, if you look at what major innovations have occurred in computing technology, every single one of them came from AMD. Not a single innovation came from Intel." -- AMD CEO Hector Ruiz in 2007











botimage
Copyright 2012 DailyTech LLC. - RSS Feed | Advertise | About Us | Ethics | FAQ | Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information | Kristopher Kubicki