The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), an organization composed of DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation, today announced the award of a $15 million development contract for lithium iron phosphate battery technology applied to hybrid-electric vehicles to A123Systems of Watertown, Mass.
Supported by a cooperative agreement with the DOE that provides up to 50 percent of the USABC budget, USABC’s mission is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support commercialization of fuel cell, hybrid and electric vehicles.
Source: USABC Awards $15 Million Battery Technology Development Contract to A123Systems, Press release, Dec. 8, 2006
This is really good news! American automobile companies have picked a technology leader to back. It shows they are starting to get serious about high-performance hybrids, and hopefully plug-ins and pure electrics as well.
Posted by: Jeff Becker | December 08, 2006 at 03:10 PM
Does this have any implication for Altair's battery?
Posted by: Luigi Aronson | December 09, 2006 at 01:40 AM
This is available now as a power tool battery, these have been adapted to electric bikes already. They are quick charge, explosion safe, and high energy density.
http://www.dewalt.com/36v/
The power tools use 1500 watts right off the single battery pack. I guess the big three have chosen the MIT design over Altairnano.
Titanium versus iron phosphate, with the big three behind titanium, even with Altair powering the SUT fleet vehicles can they match the mass production all those big auto industry dollars could bring to bear.
The power tools are taking off fast, that will impell mass production cost reduction even before vehicle production kicks in. Great news!
Now how about 15 billion instead of 15 million. and 15 billion for Franklin Fuel Cell too.
http://www.franklinfuelcells.com/Tech_leadingtheway.htm
Posted by: amazingdrx | December 09, 2006 at 02:08 AM
My understanding of nano PO4FeLi is that their cost to manufacture is very low (in quantity). So they are hands down winner in 1 cost, 2 safety, 3 power, 4 life cycle, 5 life longevity, 6 temperature variance.
Unfortunately they are not there in energy capacity yet. I understand that the A123 battery has 60% more capacity than NiMH, but 50% LESS capacity of Lion, at 100 Wh/kg. Another source claims PO4FeLi is only 25% less capacity than Lion (which is 200 Wh/kg).
What is the concensus on nano phosphate lithium capacity, and will it improve by 5 or 10% a year?
Posted by: beek | December 10, 2006 at 02:21 AM