March 2008

around the industry

Axion's New Demonstration Projects

Axion Power International Inc. of New Castle, Pennsylvania, is providing PbC™ ultracapacitors to the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University for testing in conjunction with the U.S. Army's Tank and Automobile Command. The project's military applications include hybrid electric vehicle drive systems.

Axion has also begun work on a project to replace the nickel metal hydride battery systems in a pair of Honda Civic hybrids with a less expensive and comparably sized PbC alternative. Testing protocols are being finalized with Penn State and will include data from 100,000 miles of road tests. In the second phase of the hybrid project, Axion will add Toyota Prius and other vehicles to the test regime.

Axion's PbC batteries use carbon electrode assemblies to replace the lead-based negative electrodes. The result offers energy storage approaching lead-acid batteries, coupled with longer cycle-life and power output approaching super-capacitors. These low-cost devices recharge rapidly and use 40% less lead. Axion has been producing prototype PbC ultracapacitors at its lead-acid battery plant for over a year using the same cases, positive electrodes, separators, electrolytes and manufacturing equipment used in its other lead-acid battery lines.

Valence Uses Lithium Phosphate Packs

Valence Technology Inc. of Austin, Texas, has entered into a contract with The Tanfield Group Plc to manufacture and supply lithium phosphate energy storage systems to power all-electric commercial delivery vehicles. The battery systems will be installed in vans and trucks produced by Tanfield's U.K.-based trading division, Smith Electric Vehicles. Tanfield will purchase up to $70 million of Valence products in the contract's first phase.

Tanfield is a first volume customer for Valence's third generation Lithium Phosphate Epoch™ technology, a battery system equipped with a management system that monitors and automatically adjusts cell performance so battery packs operate at optimum performance capacity.

"We believe that Valence is the first lithium phosphate battery producer to have the sourcing and manufacturing capability and start-to-finish infrastructure to immediately ship safe, reliable, lithium phosphate energy storage systems in the quantities demanded by the EV market," says Robert L. Kanode, president and CEO of Valence.

Deutsche Post World Net Receives Hybrids

Andreas Renschler, member of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Daimler Trucks, recently handed over the first Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrid and Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid, to Deutsche Post World Net. The company is the first European logistics company to trial hybrid trucks. Initially, the trial will include DHL Express operations in the U.K. and mail transport in Germany. Also , additional Daimler hybrid vehicles will be integrated into the DHL fleet.

Daimler and Deutsche Post anticipate that the two 7.5 ton vehicles, which run on hybrid diesel-electric engines, will use up to 20% less fuel than conventional gasoline or diesel vehicles and will reduce CO2 emissions.

RFP Seeks High Power/Electric Storage for Hybrids

NineSigma's client, a global automotive company, invites proposals for advanced battery technologies for energy storage systems for industrial hybrid vehicles under RFP# 50653-1, "High Power/Energy Electric Storage Systems for Hybrid Vehicles"

See the Request for Proposal (RFP) document online at www.ninesigma.com/mx/50653-1. If after reviewing the full RFP document you are interested in submitting a proposal, please email Irina Shiyanovskaya at phd@ninesigma.com and reference RFP# 50653-1 in the subject line. Submission date for abstracts is March 24.

EnerSys Expanding Plant

EnerSys is expanding its manufacturing facility in Warrensburg, Missouri. The plant manufactures EnerSys's thin plate pure lead products including Armasafe Plus®, Genesis®, Hawker®, ODYSSEY® and Powersafe®. This will increase the plant's manufacturing capacity 50% to satisfy the growing demand from telecommunications, automotive, industrial, aerospace and defense users.

The expansion will take place over a two-year period, increasing the plant's square footage from 365,000 to 500,000 and creating about 180 jobs.

THOR 5 Launched with Saft's Technology

The THOR 5 communications satellite was successfully launched into orbit with Saft Li-ion batteries onboard. The satellite was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan aboard the Proton M/Briz M launcher. Saft batteries are a key contributor to the satellite's 15-year life and deliver power during two eclipse seasons per year.

Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia, selected Saft's high-performance Li-ion batteries for the satellite built for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting. To date, a total of 22 spacecraft have been launched worldwide with Saft Li-ion batteries onboard. This launch also marks two new milestones, including Saft's eighth successful launch and ninth contract for satellites, both with Orbital Sciences.

"We are very proud that 22 spacecraft launched have relied on Saft batteries and our proven Li-ion technology," says Thomas Alcide, president of Saft America & GM for Saft's specialty battery group.

ExxonMobil's Separator Film Helps Put EVs

ExxonMobil Chemical's battery film technology will be an integral part of Electrovaya's new all electric vehicles. ExxonMobil's battery separator films significantly enhance the power, safety and reliability of Li-ion batteries, helping speed the adoption of these smaller, lighter batteries into the next wave of lower-emission vehicles.

Electrovaya recently launched its Zero Emission Low Speed vehicle, Maya-300. The Maya-300 electric vehicles will have an extended range of up to 120 miles and are designed for urban and neighborhood driving patterns. "Electrovaya's lithium-ion battery has made the low-speed electric vehicle a viable commercial product," says Sankar Das Gupta, chief executive officer, Electrovaya.

GM Group for Hybrids, EVs and Batteries

General Motors has formed a new engineering organization dedicated to implementing hybrid and extended-range electric vehicles (E-REV) and advanced battery technology. The global team will be led by Robert Kruse, executive director of vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicle and batteries.

"The future of automotive transportation will be based on electrification of our vehicles," says Jim Queen, GM group vice president of Global Engineering. "By having a vehicle engineering team in place and focused on delivering the technical aspects of hybrids and E-REVs, we can accelerate these programs and get them into production quickly and efficiently."

Kruse, 48, was executive director of vehicle integration, safety, regional chief engineers and performance division for GM's North America engineering staff. Kruse began his GM career in 1978.

Powercell Acquires Pb Batteries

Powercell Industrial Battery Engineers Ltd, based in Stansted, Essex, U.K., has acquired Pb Batteries.

"There has been a Pb Batteries with its Gryphon logo in the British industrial battery trade for over 30 years. The company is renowned for its traction batteries and has built a very successful reputation in the rail and marine sectors in particular, where the PB Batteries name will be retained," says Derek Anderson, managing director of Powercell, an independent supplier of motive power batteries and chargers.

Already a major supplier of battery solutions to the logistics, airport and standby power sectors, the acquisition will not only enable Powercell to offer Pb Batteries' traction battery range to these industries but to expand its service operation as well as its expertise into the rail and marine industries and increase its market coverage.

E-One Moli to Increase Li-Ion Production

E-One Moli Energy Corp. plans to expand production of rechargeable Li-ion batteries this year. E-One Moli (Molicel®) will increase production at its plants in Tainan, Taiwan, and Vancouver, Canada, to raise its Li-ion production capacity by 30%. The expansion plan is divided into two phases. In the first phase, planning will be completed at the existing site by the end of this month. The second phase will commence after it.

E-One Moli plans to increase its share of the market in the next two to three years. Taking cyclical risk into account, the company will expand at a steady pace to avoid falling into full-scale competition and at the same time focus on the laptop-computer, cordless power tool, and electric or hybrid-electric vehicles markets.

PG&E to Buy Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) of San Fracisco, California, plans to test plug-in hybrid SUVs. The company will buy two units from Raser Technologies Inc. of Provo, Utah, for demonstration and testing. The vehicles are designed to achieve more than 100mpg in typical daily driving, with little to no greenhouse gas emissions.

Operating in all-electric mode during typical daily fleet routes, the vehicles are expected to cut operational fuel costs by up to 75%. When driving beyond the 40-mile battery electric range the SUVs will use their on-board engines.

"PG&E is a strong advocate of plug-in hybrid vehicles and has been working with Raser as co-founders of the Plug-in Hybrid Development Consortium for the past two years, with the goal to accelerate a pathway for PHEV commercialization," says Andrew Tang, senior director of smart energy web at PG&E.