Bosch to build pilot line for the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries

Robert Bosch GmbH is to build a pilot production line in Eisenach in order to research into materials and production processes for future generations of lithium-ion cells. It is planned that the line will produce the first samples for trial purposes from 2012, and will then be extended until it reaches an annual production volume of more than 200,000 cells by 2015. Subsequent preparations for series production are planned for marine applications.

Bosch will be joined in this pilot project by BASF on the materials side and by ThyssenKrupp System Engineering as a specialist for process plant engineering. It is hoped this will drive forward the development of a European supplier network for materials and production machinery.

Bosch will gradually increase the size of the project team to roughly 80 associates. They will work to develop materials for anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes, and also examine their interactions. The knowledge they gain will flow directly into new manufacturing processes.

This focus on the application of the technology needed for the next cell generation to the non-automotive area is an effective complement to the activities that are pooled in Bosch's joint venture with Samsung SDI, SB LiMotive.

Graphene battery could triple Electric Vehicle range

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have created a graphene and tin nanoscale composite material for high-capacity energy storage in renewable lithium ion batteries. By encapsulating tin between sheets of graphene, the researchers constructed a new, lightweight “sandwich” structure that should bolster battery performance.

“For an electric vehicle, you need a lightweight battery that can be charged quickly and holds its charge capacity after repeated cycling,” says Yuegang Zhang, a staff scientist with Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, in the Inorganic Nanostructures Facility, who led this research. “Here, we’ve shown the rational design of a nanoscale architecture, which doesn’t need an additive or binder to operate, to improve battery performance.”

Graphene is a single-atom-thick, “chicken-wire” lattice of carbon atoms with stellar electronic and mechanical properties, far beyond silicon and other traditional semiconductor materials. Previous work on graphene by Zhang and his colleagues has emphasized electronic device applications.

In this study, the team assembled alternating layers of graphene and tin to create a nanoscale composite. To create the composite material, a thin film of tin is deposited onto graphene. Next, another sheet of graphene is transferred on top of the tin film. This process is repeated to create a composite material, which is then heated to 300˚ Celsius (572˚ Fahrenheit) in a hydrogen and argon environment. During this heat treatment, the tin film transforms into a series of pillars, increasing the height of the tin layer.

“The formation of these tin nanopillars from a thin film is very particular to this system, and we find the distance between the top and bottom graphene layers also changes to accommodate the height change of the tin layer,” says Liwen Ji, a post-doctoral researcher at the Foundry. Ji is the lead author and Zhang the corresponding author of a paper reporting the research in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.

The change in height between the graphene layers in these new nanocomposites helps during electrochemical cycling of the battery, as the volume change of tin improves the electrode’s performance. In addition, this accommodating behavior means the battery can be charged quickly and repeatedly without degrading — crucial for rechargeable batteries in electric vehicles.

“We have a large battery program here at Berkeley Lab, where we are capable of making highly cyclable cells. Through our interactions in the Carbon Cycle 2.0 program, the Materials Science Division researchers benefit from quality battery facilities and personnel, along with our insights in what it takes to make a better electrode,” says co-author Battaglia, program manager in the Advanced Energy Technology department of Berkeley Lab’s Environmental and Energy Technologies Division. “In return, we have an outlet for getting these requirements out to scientists developing the next generation of materials.”

“With a graphene battery the same amount of weight and volume as a current one, you could drive 300 miles instead of 100,” said Yuegang Zhang, a principal investigator at the lab. “In that case, you’ll like to buy an electrical car.”

Li-Ion Battery Market Set for Boom Courtesy of Electric Vehicles

Driven by plunging prices and accelerating demand from the electric and hybrid automobile market, lithium-ion will emerge as the world’s leading rechargeable battery technology and achieve 350 percent revenue growth from 2010 to 2020, according to a new IHS iSuppli Rechargeable Batteries Special Report from information and analysis provider IHS.

Global lithium-ion battery revenue is expected to expand to $53.7 billion in 2020, up from $11.8 billion in 2010, as presented in the figure below. Revenue will rise to $31.4 billion in 2015, allowing lithium-ion to surpass the current dominant rechargeable battery technology, lead acid.

While lithium-ion will find wide usage in mobile electronics products such as cellphones and notebook PCs, usage in cars will fuel the bulk of sales growth.

“Lithium-ion at present is much more expensive than alternative technologies, costing two to three times as much as sodium-sulfur, lead-acid and nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable batteries,” said Satoru Oyama, principal analyst of Japan electronics research for IHS. “However, lithium-ion pricing will decline much more rapidly than the other technologies, coming close to cost parity in 2015, and then becoming the least expensive type of rechargeable battery in 2020. Combined with the inherent advantages of the technology, the increasingly competitive cost of lithium-ion will cause car makers to employ it as their battery technology of choice in future electric and hybrid vehicles.”


Lithium: Just What the Ddoctor Ordered for Automotive

Lithium-ion delivers several enhancements compared to other rechargeable battery technologies.

These advantages include more flexible form factors and lighter weight. Furthermore, lithium-ion devices have no memory effect, meaning they maintain their full capacity even after a partial recharge. Finally, lithium-ion batteries are considered to be more environmentally safe than other technologies.

These features make lithium-ion particularly attractive for electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Because of this, the automotive segment will be the leading market for lithium-ion batteries by 2015, surpassing the current top application, notebook PCs.


Lithium’s Elements of Success in Electric and Hybrid Cars

The dominant battery technology used in hybrid cars now is nickel-metal-hydride. More than 1 million hybrids with nickel-metal-hydride batteries were shipped in 2010, led by the Toyota Prius.

However, shipments of nickel-metal-hydride batteries to the hybrid market will not grow in the future as the use of lithium-ion begins to take off.

While automotive will be the dominant market for lithium-ion batteries, notebook PCs and cellphones will remain major markets for the technology, accounting for $12.3 billion in revenue in 2010, up from $7.8 billion in 2010.

Other major uses for lithium-ion batteries include use in solar power systems, smart electricity grids and electric tools.

Nanosys Receives $11 Million Funding From U.S. Department of Energy

Nanostart-holding Nanosys, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded it funds to refine and bring to scale its SiNANOde™ materials for the automotive market. These innovations will enable Electric Vehicles (EVs) to travel 300 miles on a single charge.

In addition to the primary DOE award of USD 4.8 million, approximately USD 6 million will be spent, through sub-awards and matches by the DOE and Nanosys, in the development and commercialization of advanced material technologies and manufacturing in the United States.

"We are honored the DOE has selected Nanosys for this grant," said Jason Hartlove, president and CEO of Nanosys. "The future of a clean energy economy depends on increased adoption of electric and hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles. Until such vehicles are able to achieve substantial operating range on a single charge with the economics of combustion vehicles, acceptance will be limited to early adopters. The commercialization of architected material solutions like SiNANOde™ provide the breakthroughs needed to progress on the path to achieving those goals."

The grant is a part of the DOE's larger mission to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies through targeted programs aimed at increasing vehicle efficiency.

DOE's comprehensive approach is aimed at creating new innovations throughout the vehicle, including high capacity electric vehicle batteries and components that should significantly exceed existing state-of-the-art technologies in terms of performance and/or cost.

The agency has set a target for bringing the cost of lithium-ion batteries down to USD 250/kWh and increasing capacity to 300 miles per charge for the next generation of EVs. In recent tests, Nanosys' SiNANOde™ anode material has doubled capacity while providing breakthrough charge/discharge cycle life improvements. Nanosys will use the DOE funds to accelerate development through purchases of additional equipment and the hiring of additional staff.

"The Department of Energy is investing in new advanced technologies that will significantly improve vehicle fuel economy, save consumers money, and create skilled jobs for Americans," said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a DOE press release. "Investments in the next generation of autos will strengthen our economy and lead to a more fuel-efficient, clean energy future."

In addition to EVs, Nanosys is currently working with domestic and international battery manufacturers to improve lithium-ion battery capacity using SiNANOde™ in batteries for laptops and tablets, smart phones and other electronic devices

DOE Awards $175 Million in Vehicle Efficiency Development Grants

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the DOE is providing more than $175 million to 40 projects across 15 states over the next three to five years to accelerate the development of energy-efficient-vehicle technologies.

The projects will pursue innovations in fuels and lubricants, lighter weight materials, longer-lasting and cheaper electric vehicle batteries and components, and more efficient engine technologies, according to a DOE announcement.

Among the grant recipients, United States Automotive Materials Partnership will validate crash models for carbon-fiber composites that would enable the use of lightweight composites in primary-structural automotive crash and energy management applications.

Penn State University will develop a high energy density lithium-sulfur cell technology that significantly reduces battery size, and improves performance and life.

MIT will investigate the use of new lubricant formulations that target differing lubrication requirements of the major engine subsystems.

A complete list of the 40 grant recipients is available at the link below.

DOE Funded Projects

Johnson Controls says it will build another EV battery factory

Johnson Controls Inc. will build a second factory to build lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric and plug-in electric vehicles, the company announced Thursday.

A location for the factory has not been announced, the company said in a statement.

“Once a location is identified and the facility constructed, it would add nearly 300 additional jobs when at full capacity,” the company said.

Plans for a new factory were announced as company executives welcomed President Barack Obama to its Meadowbrook factory in Holland, Mich.

Obama said administration policies aimed at reducing oil imports are part of an effort to invest both in research and new technology.

“That’s why we’re investing in clean energy,” he said, according to a transcript provided by the White House. “That’s why I brought together the world’s largest auto companies who agreed, for the first time, to nearly double the distance their cars can go on a gallon of gas. That’s going to save consumers thousands of dollars at the pump.”

For more on Obama's appearance, click here.

The Michigan factory that Obama toured will be the first in the country to produce complete lithium-ion battery cells and systems for hybrid and electric vehicles, producing battery systems for automakers such as Ford’s Transit Connect plug-in electric delivery vans.

Johnson Controls and U.S. stimulus package each invested $299.2 million in the Michigan factory, while the state of Michigan provided $168 million in incentives

The Michigan plant will employ 320 people at full capacity, the company said.

“These projects are great examples of public-private partnerships that use innovation and technology to produce products that reduce fuel consumption and create jobs,” said Steve Roell, company chairman and chief executive, in a statement.

Across the Midwest, Johnson Controls Inc. is adding 700 jobs and retaining another 400 through its investment in advanced lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, Roell said.

"Through innovation and investment in technology and people, Johnson Controls is a leader in the energy storage industry,” he said. “We are investing more than $460 million in our advanced battery business for manufacturing and technical facilities here in Michigan and the U.S. These investments will lead to over 700 new jobs, retention of another 400 and approximately 1,000 construction jobs," Roell said.

In addition to the new factory and the one now opening, the company also recently opened its expanded battery technology and test center in Glendale, which created 60 jobs.

Finally, in June the company announced it would invest $138.5 million at its battery factory in Toledo, to convert it and expand it to produce advanced lead acid batteries that deploy start-stop technology. This technology enables vehicle engines to turn off at intersections, turning back on when the gas pedal is pushed.

A new greenhouse gas and fuel economy program announced last week by the Obama administration will give credits to companies that deploy the start-stop technology, for which Johnson Controls has a leading market share.

The Toledo investment will retain 400 jobs and create 50 jobs, Johnson Controls said.

The investments are part of a plan by Johnson Controls to secure a leadership role in advanced batteries as the automotive industry moves to electrify the vehicle powertrain. The Glendale firm is the world's largest maker of lead-acid batteries, producing them for automakers and for retailers like Sears and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

GM Does Deal With A123 – Will Launch 1st Pure Battery-EV in 2014

General Motors has inked a deal with U.S. battery supplier A123 – a deal that well-placed sources say confirms the maker’s plans to put at least one battery-electric vehicle into production by 2014.

The maker has a separate deal with LG Chem to produce lithium-ion batteries for its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. The Korean maker beat out A123 for that contract and is now in the process of setting up a new factory to produce Volt batteries near Grand Rapids, Michigan. Production of the Volt is now ramping up and, along with the similar Opel Ampera, GM hopes to produce as many as 60,000 plug-ins next year.

The new alliance will focus on an entirely different range of vehicles, GM spokesman Kevin Kelly hinted. “It is not for the Volt or the next-generation Volt. This is for a different application, but we can’t get into what this is for or the timing.”

While Kelly declined to comment, GM sources noted that the maker now hopes to expand into a broad range of “electrified” vehicles, from conventional hybrids to plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs. The A123 batteries will be utilized for the latter group.
Precisely what is in store is unclear, though there could be battery-electric models sold through “multiple brands,” according to sources. The first of the BEVs is expected to reach market by 2014.

While a variety of different platforms, large and small, have been under study, it appears the first battery-electric models will be in the small car class and similar to the low-volume demonstration fleets GM has launched in two of the world’s fastest-growing automotive markets. In India, the maker has electrified its compact Chevrolet Beat, while in China it has opted to go with the similarly-sized Sail. In Korea GM have a test fleet of GM Daewoo based Chevrolet Cruze EVs and GM Daewoo Lacetti Premieres.

China, in particular, has been pressing the auto industry to adopt battery power as a way to reduce dependence upon imported oil. It is likely to be one of several initial markets for the new GM battery cars.

GM may also go up-market, suggested another source. Its Cadillac brand has been considering several ways to use battery propulsion, though a plan to develop a luxury version of the Volt was rejected by CEO Dan Akerson who is, however, a corporate cheerleader for alternative propulsion.

The decision to go with A123 – which was the first runner-up in the bidding to supply batteries to Volt – reflects the fact that lithium-ion technology is evolving fast. There are about 14 different “families” of lithium chemistry, each with distinctly different properties. Some hold more energy, others store less but permit power to be drawn down more quickly, so some formulations are good for conventional hybrids, while others work better for battery-electric applications.

The latest version of the A123 nanophosphate chemistry appears particularly well-suited to pure battery-electric vehicles, several GM sources explained. It has a higher energy density – a measure of how much power can be stored in a given mass. And more of the potential capacity of the battery can be used.

With the batteries in the Volt, only about 60% of the total 16 kilowatt-hours of capacity are actually used, day-to-day. With the A123 pack that might top 70% or higher – which means fewer batteries are needed. And with lithium batteries running well north of $500 a kWH, that translates into significant savings.

Perhaps equally important, the A123 packaging is more flexible than LG Chem’s, which makes it easier to squeeze a lot of batteries into the nooks and crannies of a small car, rather than the large, T-shaped pack used in the Volt.

With the planned 2014 launch of its first pure batter car GM will enter into an increasingly crowded market. Nissan launched the first mass market battery car, the Leaf, late last year, shortly after followed by Ford’s Transit Connect Electric. Ford will begin a phased roll-out of its Focus Electric later in 2011, with Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda and Nissan’s Infiniti among the many major other brands getting into BEV production. Meanwhile, start-up Tesla is one of many automotive wannabes also entering the fray, its Model S sedan due to market next year.

Both LG Chem and A123 are vying to supply those carmakers – as are a variety of other battery producers. The batteries for the GM BEVs will be produced at a plant in Livonia, a suburb of Detroit, where A123 already employs 775 people, a workforce expected to rapidly grow as a result of the new contract.

University of Michigan and Ford researchers see plentiful lithium for EVs

Researchers from the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Co. have assessed the global availability of lithium and compared it to the potential demand from large-scale global use of electric vehicles. The research findings, published in the current issue of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, conclude that sufficient resources of lithium exist for the next 90 years to supply a large-scale global fleet of electric vehicles through at least 2100.

The researchers compiled data on 103 deposits containing lithium, with an emphasis on 32 deposits that have a lithium resource of more than 100,000 metric tons each. Lithium is a key ingredient in the development of certain types of batteries, and is a key element of batteries used in hybrid and all-electric vehicles.

The data collected included deposit location, geologic type, dimensions and content of lithium, as well as the current status of production. Using the definition of a lithium "resource" as a deposit from which production is currently or potentially feasible economically, the researchers estimated a global lithium resource of about 39 million tons.

The second part of the study examined lithium demand for the same 90-year period (2010-2100). Demand was estimated under the assumption of two different growth scenarios for electric vehicles and other current battery and non-battery applications.

Areas studied related to demand were lubricating grease, frits and glass, air conditioning and portable batteries, as well as batteries for hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and battery electric vehicles. The total demand for lithium was estimated to be in the range of 12-20 million tons, depending on assumptions regarding economic growth and recycling rates.

"Even with a rapid and widespread adoption of electric vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries, lithium resources are sufficient to support demand until at least the end of this century," the researchers conclude in the paper.

The study's main authors were Paul Gruber and Pablo Medina. They conducted the research as part of a graduate student research project before graduating in 2010 from the U-M School of Natural Resources and Environment. The research partner was Ford Motor Co., the global automobile manufacturer based in Dearborn, Mich.

"We believe our assessment is a timely and comprehensive study that settles the question of whether the global resources are sufficient for electric vehicles using lithium-ion technology," said Gruber.

Other co-authors were U-M professors Gregory Keoleian of SNRE and Stephen Kesler, a professor emeritus of geological sciences, and two researchers from Ford: Mark Everson, the technical leader of the Manufacturing and Purchasing Strategy research group, and Timothy Wallington, technical leader of the Sustainability Science research group at Ford's Research and Innovation Center.

Nissan LEAF battery technology Explained [video]

Nissan Corporate Vice-President Simon Sproule gives a detailed explanation about the Nissan LEAF battery technology.

Japanese researchers triple li-ion battery capacity using metal foam

A new material has been developed by Japanese researchers, which has the ability to triple the capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Sumitomo Electric Industries has worked to set up a “small-scale production line” for producing such a material at its Osaka Works which is its R&D center. This project is named as “Aluminum-Celmet“.

Aluminum-Celmet forms the base of a highly efficient battery in which the porosity power is up to 98 per cent. It essentially is the replacement for the aluminum foil anode in a secondary rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This porous characteristic of Aluminum-Celmet forms the basis for a huge volume of lithium compound that helps in the flow of electricity.

This development by Sumitomo Electric is infact an outgrowth of its previous work on nickel and nickel-chromium materials which was tagged as Celmet generated from cell and metal. The way these are manufactured involves a high porosity conductive coating to form a foam made of plastic plated with nickel.

The foam is removed by heating the material which results into a 3-D mesh that is spherical in shape and has open pores. This can be easily processed by conventional methods which are cutting and attaching. Hence, Sumitomo Electric decided to use nickel-metal hydride and nickel-cadmium battery cells.

However, the advantage of the new Aluminum-Celmet material lies in it being light and having an improvised electrical conductivity power which can easily avoid corrosion resistance. These are the exact qualities that makes it well-suited for secondary lithium-ion batteries.

The firm has estimated that a lithium-ion automotive battery using Aluminum-Celmet will be able to provide one and a half times more power and a higher charging capacity of up to three times. It also seems to be an answer for improved capacitors seeking an aluminum capacitor having both positive and negative conductors by using a dielectric separator.

Sony eyes making batteries for electric vehicles

Sony is in talks with several automakers both inside and outside of Japan to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles from 2015, expecting a sharp increase in demand, an executive of the electronics company said Tuesday.

"We will consider building factories, including one overseas, if demand becomes full blown," Sony Senior Vice President Shigeki Ishizuka told reporters at a new factory for building battery devices in Motomiya, Fukushima Prefecture.

The company will also consider developing batteries for gasoline-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, Ishizuka said.

The Japanese electronics maker is currently developing a lithium-ion battery with a long life that is resistant to deterioration even when recharged repeatedly.

Ishizuka visited the factory of subsidiary Sony Energy Devices Corp. on the day the company unveiled a new plant building there to manufacture electrodes for lithium-ion batteries to be used in such products as electrical power tools.

Nissan and 4R Energy Develop new Solar EV Charging System

Nissan and 4R Energy Corporation today announced that the two companies have developed a charging system for electric vehicles that combines a solar power generation system with high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. Testing of this new charging system began today at Nissan's Global Headquarters in Yokohama.

With the new charging system, electricity is generated through solar cells installed at Nissan's Global Headquarters, and is stored in lithium-ion batteries which are equivalent to four units of Nissan LEAFs. With seven charging stations (three quick charge, four normal charge) located in the headquarter grounds, the total electricity that can be generated and stored is the equivalent to fully charging approximately 1,800 Nissan LEAFs annually.

This new system will enable electric vehicles, which do not emit any CO2 when driven, to be charged through a completely renewable energy source. This is one solution to create a cycle where CO2 emissions resulting from driving is zero. By using the same lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles as stationary storage batteries, electricity can also be supplied to EVs regardless of the time of day or weather, enabling efficient use of renewable energy sources.

4R Energy Corporation, a joint venture established by Nissan and Sumitomo Corporation in September 2010, has already started tests on a compact electricity storage system installed with second-life lithium ion batteries previously used in Nissan LEAFs. Based on the outcome of this larger system, 4R Energy plans to enter the market of mid-sized electricity storage systems for commercial and public facilities.

Nissan and 4R Energy Corporation will continue various efforts to help move toward a sustainable, zero-emission society.
Demonstration test outline Solar cell: Maximum power output: 40kW (Solar Frontier)
Power conditioner: Rated power output: 40kW (10kW×4)
(Sanyo Denki Co., Ltd.)
Storage battery capacity: 96kWh (Automotive Energy Supply Corporation)
Grid management unit: Rated power output: 200kW
(Sanyo Denki Co., Ltd.)
EV charging equipment: Quick charger: 3 (50kW×3)
Regular charger:4 (3.3kW×14)
Outline of 4R Energy Corporation President: Takashi Sakagami
Company Address: Queen's Tower C 12F, 2-3-5, Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City
Capital: 450 million yen
Date of Establishment: September 14, 2010
Stakeholders: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (51%)
Sumitomo Corporation (49%)
Business Description: Demonstration tests and commercialization study for the second-life use of lithium-ion batteries previously used in EVs

Toshiba SCiB to be used in i-MiEV, recharge to 80% in just 15 mins

Toshiba Corporation today announced that its SCiB™ (Super Charge ion Battery) battery has been selected by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation to power two new models of electric vehicles (EV), the i-MiEV and MINICAB-MiEV. The SCiB™ is Toshiba's breakthrough rechargeable lithium-ion battery that combines high levels of safety with a long life, rapid charging and excellent charging and output at very low temperatures, characteristics that make it highly suited to application in EV.

Toshiba developed the SCiB™ to meet a series of demanding performance and safety criteria. By successfully employing lithium titanate oxide in the anode, Toshiba has assured that the SCiB™ offers high level operating safety, a long life and rapid charging. The use of lithium titanate oxide also significantly reduces the possibility of a puncture in the separator between the anode and cathode, so minimizing the risk of them coming contact into and short circuiting, and maintains battery performance levels even in severe operating conditions, including very low temperatures.

The SCiB™ pushes the life of the lithium-ion battery to a new level by supporting 2.5 times more charge/discharge cycles than a typical lithium-ion battery. Recharging is also notably better. Charged with the highest current available with CHAdeMO*1, widely seen as the emerging standard for fast charging EV, an SCiB™ reaches about 80 percent of full capacity in some 15 minutes, about 50% in 10 minutes and about 25% in 5 minutes*2 – half the times of a typical lithium-ion battery charged under the same conditions. The SCiB™ also generates little heat while recharging, eliminating the need for power to cool the battery module.

Most important of all for real-world application, the SCiB™ delivers high level performance. The SCiB™ offers a higher effective capacity than a typical lithium-ion battery, in that more of the stored charge can be used safely before recharging the battery. This, combined with highly efficient regenerative charging during braking or coasting downhill, allows the SCiB™ to deliver 1.7 times the driving distance per level of charge of a typical lithium-ion battery. This will allow for installation of smaller battery modules in vehicles and contribute to lower EV prices. The SCiB™ also offers high level performance in a wide range of temperatures, and continues to support rapid charging and excellent power output at temperatures as low as -30ºC.

The SCiB™ for Mitsubishi's new EV will be manufactured at Toshiba's Kashiwazaki Operations in Niigata prefecture, northwest Japan, a new facility dedicated to production of SCiB™ that came on line in February this year. Toshiba will seek to establish a plant operating structure able to respond quickly to market growth as the basis for expanding the SCiB™ business for EV, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid EVs.

As the automotive industry responds to concerns about global warming by developing a new generation of environmentally friendly EV, Toshiba is promoting advances in essential automotive technologies, from dedicated on-board control systems to batteries and Intelligent Traffic Systems. In automotive-related power electronics technologies, Toshiba is targeting net sales of 800 billion yen by fiscal year 2015 from its concentration on motors, inverters and SCiB™.

Toshiba will continue to promote sales of the SCiB™ in a global market for lithium-ion batteries that is expected to record sales of some 1 trillion*3 yen in fiscal year 2015.

*1 The CHAdeMo Association is promoting a global standard for fast charging of EV.
*2 For a battery with a capacity 10kWh.

Top Gear Eco Special (Spoof) [video]

In answer to Top Gear's childish antics when it comes to anything that Plugs-In, a group of friends from London have produced a spoof video of the up coming Nissan Leaf / Peugeot Ion episode.

For all the multi millions in the BBC's Top Gear budget, the production values of this camcorder spoof look surprisingly similar to the real thing!

Johnson Controls Moves to Dissolve Battery Joint Venture With Saft

Despite the company recently announcing a deal to supply the Beijing Electric Vehicle Company, Johnson Controls today took legal action in the Delaware Chancery Court to dissolve the Johnson Controls-Saft joint venture. The joint venture was formed in 2006 to develop and manufacture lithium-ion motive battery solutions.

"Johnson Controls and Saft have a fundamental disagreement about the future direction and appropriate scope of the joint venture," said Alex Molinaroli, president, Johnson Controls Power Solutions. "The industry is evolving rapidly and the investments needed to achieve market leadership require us to do more than the joint venture has done or can do."

Johnson Controls believes that as vehicle power train technologies continue to evolve and new markets emerge for advanced batteries, the company must have access to multiple alternative technologies and be able to flexibly participate more broadly across the energy storage space.

"This action reaffirms our strategic commitment to the advanced battery industry," said Molinaroli.

Today's filing does not affect Johnson Controls-Saft's current contracts, production orders or program launches.

"We are confident we will continue to provide our customers with quality products that meet and exceed their needs. Our commitment to our customers and this market is not changed. All of this activity reflects our long-term commitment to be a leader in the advanced battery space," said Molinaroli.

BYD Announces EV Fleet Results at Anniversary of Green-Taxi Project

Today marks the one year anniversary of the world’s largest all-electric vehicle Taxi fleet, manufactured by BYD. In conjunction with this anniversary, BYD announced results of several of its electric vehicle pilots – the F3DM, e6 and eBUS-12 which are in fleet testing across the world. Fifty of BYD’s e6, five-seat crossover vehicles, each with a range of over 160 miles (up to 300 Km) and a top speed of 88 mph (140km/h), have been in service at Shenzhen-based Pengcheng Electric Taxi Company since April 29, 2010.

The Shenzhen e6 Taxi fleet has now accumulated ~1,730,000 all-electric miles (or 2.77 million kilometers). The distance traveled for single fleet vehicles has reached ~63,000 miles each (>100,000 km). “This fleet of 50 e6 taxis has survived the very harsh operating conditions of hot Shenzhen summers and a very cold winter this year, and drivers and passengers alike have been extremely satisfied with their ride experience,” according to Stella Li, Senior Vice President. 250 more eTaxis are being delivered to the International University in Shenzhen before August this year. According to collected data, the per-car-fuel-savings is over $1167 per-Taxi-per-month (driving an average of 400Km per day). BYD’s all-electric Taxis are expected to help Shenzhen avoid about 133 lbs (or 60.4Kg) of carbon-dioxide pollution per day per Taxi. This is an equivalent of 2,425,060 lbs (or 1.1M kg) of carbon-dioxide pollution saved by this fleet in the first year.

The most important finding in the e6 fleet testing was that there has been no noticeable energy drop – both driving range and battery performance has been stable in rapid-charging conditions over the 1.73M miles tested – a breakthrough in EV rapid-charging. BYD has been challenged by the media about its claims of long-range electric vehicles and superior battery longevity in rapid-charging regimes since launching its first dual-mode, electric and plug-in-hybrid electric vehicles in December 2008. With the results of the e6 fleet, which was continuously rapid charged in 20- 30 minutes, BYD now has a proven track record for its Iron-Phosphate battery technology. The data is there to show vehicle charging efficiencies, consumption efficiencies, and EV ranges over time-- all with rapid-charging regimes.

BYD also reported on its F3DM fleet which BYD launched in its first US tests at the Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA). The F3DM can travel over 40 miles all-electric but can be engaged to act as a Hybrid-Electric (HEV) to extend its range up to 300 miles. The HACLA fleet has now accumulated ~10,430 miles all-electric and 14,430 total miles (4,000 fuel-driven miles when extended range was necessary). The fleet is achieving an equivalent of 88 mpg and BYD estimates the per-car-savings---even netting out EV charging and electricity costs-- is ~70%. BYD’s dual-mode cars are expected to save HACLA about 37 lbs of carbon-dioxide per-day-per-auto when driven to the EV range.

In China, BYD launched an all-electric bus fleet with the eBUS-12 (click for video link) in Shenzhen and Changsha, China in January 2011. These fleets have already accumulated 28,802 all-electric miles (46,380 Km) while undergoing a 3-hour-charge of the 324 Kwh FE battery. An example of the per-eBUS-savings for Shenzhen’s Bus Line 202 (driving only 200Km per day) is about $2833 monthly per eBUS. 300 more buses will be delivered to Shenzhen in August of this year. BYD’s all-electric eBUSes save about 708 lbs (or 322Kg) in carbon-dioxide emissions per eBUS per day.

In total, BYD EVs have accumulated over 1.769 million all-electric miles and have seen no diminished range or capacity due to rapid-charging. BYD vehicles are estimated to have already saved $360,000 in fuel costs and over 2.776 million lbs of carbon-dioxide. BYD launched consumer sales of the F3DM in September 2010 and anticipates very good demand for the BYD e6 and all electric vehicles in China, fueled in part by government incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles. “Consumers that purchase pure electric vehicles will also enjoy the special privilege of "license-plate-lottery-free, no traffic restrictions and tax-free exemptions (paid by the government)."

Toyota and WiTricity Form Wireless Battery-charging Alliance

Toyota has entered into a technological collaboration agreement with Massachusetts, United States based WiTricity Corporation* concerning the practical application of automotive wireless charging systems and the promotion of their widespread use. TMC plans to participate in a WiTricity capital increase.

WiTricity's charging technology uses resonance, which allows charging without direct contact and is more efficient than electromagnetic-induction, another wireless technology—but one that requires contact—that is starting to come of age in mobile phone and other chargers. TMC believes that resonance wireless charging is suitable for automobiles and aims for its early practical use.

The collaboration is aimed to accelerate development and eventual implementation of wireless charging for automobiles. The charging of a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle could be as simple and convenient as parking near an embedded charger at a home or in a parking facility.

In the Toyota Global Vision announced in March, TMC expressed its commitment to leading the way to the future of mobility by integrating automobiles, homes and information technology. Wireless charging is just one of the many technologies TMC seeks to develop for the future.

WiTricity

Johnson Controls-Saft to supply batteries for China electric vehicles

Johnson Controls-Saft have announced that they will supply the complete battery system for two electric vehicles which will be launched by the Beijing Electric Vehicle Company (BJEV), a subsidiary of Beijing Automotive Industry Company (BAIC). BJEV and BAIC have plans to manufacture 150,000 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2015.

"The electric vehicle market in China represents a tremendous growth opportunity for the automotive industry," said Ray Shemanski, who leads the Johnson Controls-Saft joint venture and is vice president and general manager of Advanced Battery Systems for Johnson Controls Power Solutions. "While this electric battery system is the first China-specific product designed and developed by our advanced battery team in China, it leverages our proven technology currently in production in Europe and the United States, and indicates the potential of a quickly growing China market."

The Johnson Controls-Saft electric battery system will power the C30 and M30 electric vehicles, which are initially launching in an evaluation fleet of 2,000 units beginning later this year. The C30 is a A0 segment subcompact hatchback while the M30 is a small cross-over vehicle based on the same platform. Both vehicles have been adapted with an electric powertrain by BEVC.

"This fleet will provide critical and early customer usage and feedback information to support full product launch to consumers in 2012," said Dr. Dazong Wang, - the President of BAIC. "We look forward to working with Johnson Controls-Saft and other key component suppliers to meet our goal of producing 150,000 HEVs and BEVs vehicles by 2015."

The C30 and M30 can travel more than 100 kilometers on a single charge. Johnson Controls-Saft is supplying the complete battery system, which consists of 106 prismatic lithium-ion cells, the battery management system and integrated battery package to accommodate the existing vehicle platform.

LG Chem Look to Dominate EV Battery Market

LG Corp. doesn't do things small. The company is the world's largest maker of LED monitors and the second-biggest manufacturer of liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions. It also is the second largest manufacturer of mobile phones and front-loading washing machines sold in the U.S. Now, the 64-year-old South Korean conglomerate is taking aim at the top spot of the fragmented electric-vehicle battery market, where the competition includes fellow South Korean conglomerate Samsung, Japan's Panasonic and relative start-ups like A123 Systems and the automakers themselves.

The company’s LG Chem division last week opened what it said is the world's largest electric-vehicle battery-making plant in Ochang, South Korea. The factory will produce enough lithium-ion batteries for 100,000 electric-drive vehicles, according to Bloomberg News. LG Chem, which makes batteries for a number of electric-drive vehicles including General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid-electric (PHEV), is looking to boost annual revenue from EV batteries to 4 trillion won ($3.67 billion) by 2015, when the company expects to have 25 percent of the worldwide EV-battery market. With another South Korean plant and a U.S. factory scheduled to open by the end of next year, LG Chem will be able to produce enough batteries for 350,000 vehicles by 2013, according to Bloomberg.

"They’re definitely the mover and the shaker right now in the lithium-ion battery market," said John Gartner, senior analyst at Pike Research. "They have strong relationships with GM, Ford and Hyundai, and their technology is viewed as being very stable, safe, and reliable, so it’s not out of the questions that they could reach that goal."

LG's strategy may be a sound one, given electric-drive vehicle projections. Last year, Pike estimated that global sales of PHEVs and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) will surge to more than 1 million units in 2015 from less than 250,000 this year. That said, consolidation isn't guaranteed in an EV-battery market where technology continues to rapidly evolve. For instance, last month, the U.S. Energy Department and an automaker group that includes GM, Ford and Chrysler awarded lithium-ion battery-maker A123 Systems a contract worth $8 million to further develop so-called nanophosphate systems that will produce lighter, cheaper and more powerful batteries for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles. "It’s a little premature for anyone to be beating their chest unless they have a real corner on the technology," said Philip Gott, managing director at IHS Automotive. "Even GM's hedging its bets."

Additionally, the global lithium-ion battery market will always be bifurcated because automakers such as Toyota and Nissan are almost guaranteed to stay with fellow Japanese companies like Panasonic and GS Yuasa when it comes to battery supply, said both Gartner and Gott. Finally, some automakers are looking to make electric-drive powertrain components themselves in order to gain better cost and operations controls as production of alternative-fueled vehicles expands. Daimler AG and Evonik in 2008 formed a battery-making joint venture that starting next year will supply lithium-ion batteries for Daimler’s Smart Fortwo ED BEV.

Still, LG appears to have the resources and agreements with automakers to take the lead. For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2010, LG Chem’s net income rose 34 percent from a year earlier to 1.76 trillion won ($1.62 billion) as revenue increased 26 percent to 14.5 trillion won ($13.3 billion). The company was tapped by GM early in 2009 to make battries for the Volt and later that year said it would invest $300 million in a Michigan lithium-ion battery plant that would be opened by 2012. LG Chem also agreed to start a battery-making joint venture with South Korean automaker Hyundai in 2009. And Ford chose LG Chem unit Compact Power to make battery packs for the 2011 Ford Focus Electric.

Regardless of who takes what market share, LG Chem’s investments are likely to help push down the costs of EV batteries and shorten the amount of time it will take for electric-drive vehicles to become cost-competitive with their internal combustion engine counterparts. IHS’s Gott estimated that battery costs could drop by as much as 50 percent by the end of the decade while internal combustion engine costs rise as automakers stretch for better fuel efficiency to meet progressively more stringent federal greenhouse-gas emissions requirements. Pike’s Gartner was even more optimistic, estimating that lithium-ion battery costs will fall by as much as 10 percent a year. “LG will contribute to that, as will other companies that are starting to build to scale,” said Gartner.

Nissan lithium ion battery plant in Portugal on track for 2012 production

Japanese automaker Nissan is in the process of constructing an advanced lithium-ion battery plant in Cacia, Portugal in alliance with European automaker Renault that is on track to start production late next year.

Nissan spokesperson Mia Nielsen told NewNet that Nissan’s longstanding plan for its electric vehicle roll-out has always been to produce its own lithium ion batteries. The upcoming plant is expected to provide batteries for the Leaf, although Nielson said Nissan has not yet fully settled on which electric vehicles it will support.

She said, ‘We expect to start production at the end of 2012, which will produce lithium ion batteries for Renault and Nissan. We haven’t specified which cars they will go into, but will be producing a whole range of EV cars in the future.

‘From the start we’ve always wanted to manufacture the batteries and own that part of the business. We wanted this to be part of our business so we have more control over quality and supply.’

The lithium ion battery plant, which was built alongside Renault’s existing gearbox plant north of Lisbon, involved a €156m investment and is expected to create 200 jobs.

The Cacia plant will be one of three facilities in Europe supplying batteries to electric vehicles produced by the Nissan-Renault alliance. Nissan started producing lithium ion batteries through a joint venture with Japanese manufacturer NEC in advance of launching the Leaf family electric car late last year.

Last April, Nissan began construction of a battery plant in the UK, which is expected to start operations in early 2012 with an annual capacity of 60,000 units. Renault also has a battery plant in Flins, France that is expected to have a total production capacity of 100,000 units a year.

Nissan has a long history of producing lithium ion batteries, having started developing them in 1992. It was also one of the first mainstream automakers such as Ford to produce electric vehicles back in 1943.

‘Oil was much cheaper back then and the batteries were very heavy. The range meant they didn’t go very far,’ said Nielson.

‘We have had a breakthrough in the technology allowing Nissan’s lithium ion battery to be put into mass production. We’ve had the size of the battery reduced and made more compact and also made it more powerful half the size of the previous generation.’

The flat lithium ion batteries Nissan will produce will fit in the floor a normal sized car such as the five-seater Nissan Leaf. For Nissan, producing its own flat batteries is an advantage as some lithium ion versions are cylindrical.

Nielson said that Nissan is targeting both fleet and private customers with its electric vehicles, and is already leasing vehicles through a deal with Leaseplan.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance aims to be a global leader in zero-emission mobility and to have the capacity to produce 500,000 electric vehicles together with batteries by 2015. In 2008, Portugal became the first country in Europe to partner with the Alliance for zero-emission mobility. The country is building an extensive network of charging stations and expects to have installed 1,350 charging units across the country later this year.