Lithium-ion batteries are already widely used in laptops, cellphones and other small personal technological items. According to global chief engineer of GM's hybrid systems, Stephen Poulos, from 2010 this battery will be used to power new Chevrolet Volt.
The announcement was made at Geneva Motor Show and apparently the combination of battery and small-displacement turbocharged gasoline engine, enables the automakers to use the hybrid system on vehicles of any size .
New lithium-ion battery will be about the size of a case of soda, whic is about a quarter the size of the current nickel-metal hydride batteries used in most hybrids.
"We need a battery that is very compact and is very light," says Stephen Poulos,"Lithium ion is a great enabler for that."
LiIon battery brings GM one step closer to developing the battery needed for its Chevrolet Volt concept car who's mass production will begin in 2010.
Volt can be configured to run on electricity, gasoline, E85 or biodiesel thanks to E-Flex Propulsion System. It's Lithium Ion battery has a peak output of 136 kW, a total capacity of 16 kWh. and can be charged by plugging in to any standard 110 V outlet. It's fully charged in about 6.5 hours which gives you 40 miles (on batteries alone). With a 12 gallon tank filled to it's capacity Volt has a range of 640 miles.
Despite the short circuit problems with LiIon batteries both GM and Honda say they are confident using them because their applications don't impose a severe duty cycle.
According to Denise Gray, director of hybrid energy storage systems, there are several safeguards in batteries designed for new Volt to prevent a short-circuit in one module from overheating it and causing a chain-reaction in other battery modules. Also the battery has a special high-temperature separator membranes between the electrodes which minimizes the chances of the thermal runway that causes overheating batteries to catch on fire
At the moment Honda is using lithium-ion batteries in FCX Clarity, Daimler announced last week that it, too, will use lithium-ion batteries on hybrid version of Mercedes S-class sedans next year. Toyota said in December that it was preparing to start mass-producing lithium-ion batteries for its low-emissions cars.
Automakers and battery companies across the world have been racing to develop lithium-ion technology. All I can say is that it doesn’t matter who does it first as long as the job is done.
The announcement was made at Geneva Motor Show and apparently the combination of battery and small-displacement turbocharged gasoline engine, enables the automakers to use the hybrid system on vehicles of any size .
New lithium-ion battery will be about the size of a case of soda, whic is about a quarter the size of the current nickel-metal hydride batteries used in most hybrids.
"We need a battery that is very compact and is very light," says Stephen Poulos,"Lithium ion is a great enabler for that."
LiIon battery brings GM one step closer to developing the battery needed for its Chevrolet Volt concept car who's mass production will begin in 2010.
Volt can be configured to run on electricity, gasoline, E85 or biodiesel thanks to E-Flex Propulsion System. It's Lithium Ion battery has a peak output of 136 kW, a total capacity of 16 kWh. and can be charged by plugging in to any standard 110 V outlet. It's fully charged in about 6.5 hours which gives you 40 miles (on batteries alone). With a 12 gallon tank filled to it's capacity Volt has a range of 640 miles.
Despite the short circuit problems with LiIon batteries both GM and Honda say they are confident using them because their applications don't impose a severe duty cycle.
According to Denise Gray, director of hybrid energy storage systems, there are several safeguards in batteries designed for new Volt to prevent a short-circuit in one module from overheating it and causing a chain-reaction in other battery modules. Also the battery has a special high-temperature separator membranes between the electrodes which minimizes the chances of the thermal runway that causes overheating batteries to catch on fire
At the moment Honda is using lithium-ion batteries in FCX Clarity, Daimler announced last week that it, too, will use lithium-ion batteries on hybrid version of Mercedes S-class sedans next year. Toyota said in December that it was preparing to start mass-producing lithium-ion batteries for its low-emissions cars.
Automakers and battery companies across the world have been racing to develop lithium-ion technology. All I can say is that it doesn’t matter who does it first as long as the job is done.
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