Power in all Vehicles, Batteries

July 2, 2006 – Vol.11 No.15

POWER IN ALL VEHICLES: BATTERIES.

While combustion-engined vehicles - gas, diesel, flexfuel, natural gas - can get by with a tried and true lead acid battery, every other type of vehicle - battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fuel cell - needs something more exotic.

Right now the battery chemistry of choice for hybrid vehicle developers is nickel metal hydride (NiMH). But, possibly, for the next generation of hybrids and certainly for plug-in hybrids as well as a few new electric vehicles, the chemistry of choice appears to be lithium-ion.

(Fuel cell vehicle developers rarely mention the need for a big battery pack, although fuel cell vehicles need them to store energy, for an extra boost on acceleration and at startup.)

Nanotechnologies will give lithium-ion batteries an even better opportunity for high-power, low-weight batteries needed for electric and hybrid cars and trucks. Lithium-ion developer Altair Nanotechnologies has announced it has received a $750,000 supply order from Phoenix Motorcars for batteries to be used in a freeway-capable electric pickup truck they are preparing.

That electric vehicle project seems well on its way. Phoenix has also ordered an electric propulsion system for the vehicle from electric motor and control company UQM Technologies.

Lithium-ion batteries are already used in electric vehicles that are commercially available today: small electric vehicles, that is.

Valence has announced that Oxygen S.p.A Postscooters will be using its lithium-ion batteries in a fleet of electric scooters that will be delivered to a major European postal service company beginning this summer.

The scooters - designed with carrying capacity in mind - can operate an entire day’s route without recharging according to Oxygen. The scooters are available, even in the US, by contacting the company.

Visit Valence at http://www.valence.com/ , Oxygen at http://www.oxygenworld.it/ , Altair at http://www.altairnano.com/ , Phoenix at http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/ and UQM at http://www.uqm.com/