Batteries:
The Key to the Automotive Revolution, Part 1
Tuesday,
January 16, 2007
President
Bush at Johnson Controls
Just
before the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota started hyping its FT-HS
hybrid concept, a next-generation hybrid produced with
lithium-ion batteries. As a result of these new batteries,
Toyota was able to develop a hybrid sports car capable of
achieving speeds of 0 -60 in less than 4 seconds, yet
using the fuel of only a 4 cylinder economy car.
Likewise, GM announced the future was electric, plug-in
hybrids were coming, and lithium-ion battery contracts had
been awarded. Then at NAIAS GM upped the ante and debuted
the Volt
plug-in hybrid concept, an auto capable of achieving
up to 40 miles per charge on pure electricity and up to
150 mpg if traveling 60 miles or less between charges.
Additionally, the vehicle has a range of more than 600
miles.
In both cases, lithium-ion batteries enable each of these hybrid
vehicles to achieve such amazing results.
Consequently, batteries are beginning to emerge as one of
the most important technologies behind the automotive
revolution.
But lithium-ion batteries are not just for fantastic
concept vehicles, such as the Volt and the FT-HS. Already,
numerous and largely unconfirmed reports have claimed that
the next generation Toyota Prius - also powered by
lithium-ion batteries - might achieve more than 100 mpg
(more on 113
mpg Prius). Even more interesting, this 100 mpg
vehicle might not have to be plugged-in. Imagine, however,
if a plug-in option were offered.
So, the potential of lithium-ion batteries is simply
phenomenal, but who is leading the lithium revolution?
Most analysts would probably admit that American companies
are lagging behind the Japanese in developing next
generation automobile batteries, such as lithium-ion
batteries. Japanese companies, such as NEC
Lamillion Energy, Panasonic
EV Energy and Sanyo
have been developing such batteries for a number of years,
but even Sony and Toshiba are also pursuing this next
generation technology.
Yet, American companies are not simply handing this space
to the Japanese.
Just a couple of weeks ago, GM announced that it had
awarded contracts to develop lithium-ion batteries for its
first generation of plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles to Johnson
Controls and its partner Saft
Advanced Power Solutions; and Cobasys
and its partner A123
Systems.
Then last week, the Big 3 asked the government for help -
in the form of $500 million - to develop new battery
technologies. Considering that these new technologies are
probably the key to hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid
vehicles, and electric vehicles, $500,000 million isn't a
very high amount. More important, if these next generation
lithium-ion batteries can be developed for
mass-production, then foreign oil dependency could be a
non-issue long before fuel cells and the hydrogen economy
move from myth to reality. That is worth far more than
$500,000 million.
Inevitably, lithium-ion technology might just be the key
to any automakers future success, or failure.
In my next part, I'll go into more detail regarding the
different companies fighting for lithium-ion supremacy.
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