Kentucky, Argonne to Create Battery Research Center

Central Kentucky will be the site of a national battery manufacturing research and development center intended to help create a domestic supply of advanced battery technologies for motor vehicles. The state of Kentucky, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville all plan to collaborate on the project with the Argonne National Laboratory.

The center's main goals will be to support the creation of a U.S. battery making industry, make it easier for researchers in the field to collaborate, to create advanced battery technology to reduce production costs and to help get such technologies to market quicker.

Valence to Build U.S.-Based Production Facilities

Valence Technology Inc. of Austin, Texas, has applied for $608 million in low interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program (ATVMIP). These loans will help finance the construction of a new $760 million lithium iron magnesium phosphate battery manufacturing facility in Central Texas.

If financing is approved, Valence will construct a two-million-square-foot, vertically integrated facility to manufacture and assemble finished energy storage solutions. The process would include making the cathode material, building individual cells, and assembling packs and peripherals. Operating at full capacity, the manufacturing facility would supply energy storage solutions for 250,000 hybrid and all-electric vehicles annually. Energy storage solutions would also be supplied to the stationary power market, the industrial market and the U.S military.

"We have been manufacturing in high volumes for the past four years at our Suzhou, China facilities and have been looking for an opportunity to expand into the U.S.," says Robert L. Kanode, president and CEO of Valence. "By 2011, we expect to be supplying the U.S. markets from a domestic facility."

Four Battery Plants for Michigan

Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions LLC (JCS), plans to invest $220 million in a new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Michigan. JCS has partnered with Ford Motor Co. on battery-cell manufacturing, pack and system development, and integration capability. The project has been approved for a $48.5 million state tax credit over 15 years and a $100 million battery cell state tax credit over four years. Subject to final state and local incentives, the company will use an existing Johnson Controls plant in Holland, Michigan. The 15-million-cell-a-year capacity plant is expected to create 498 new jobs.

Korean-based LG Chem (LGC), in partnership with its U.S. subsidiary Compact Power (CPI) and General Motors, has proposed a plan to manufacture lithium-ion battery cells in Michigan. LCG-CPI will invest $200 million in the project, which has been approved for a $25.2 million state tax credit over 15 years and a $100 million battery cell state tax credit over four years. More than 300 new jobs are expected to be created by the project.

KD Advanced Battery Group LLC, a joint venture of The Dow Chemical Co., Kokam America Inc., and Townsend Ventures LLC, plans to invest $665 million in a new 800,000 square-foot battery manufacturing facility in Michigan to produce its patented Superior Lithium Polymer Battery technology for electric and hybrid electric vehicles. The project has been approved for a $44.6 million state tax credit over 15 years in addition to a $100 million battery cell tax credit over four years and is expected to create 885 new jobs.

A123Systems Inc. of Watertown, Massachusetts, plans to invest over $600 million in initial coating, lithium-ion cell manufacturing, and pack assembly in Livonia, Michigan. The planned project is expected to create over 5,000 new jobs and has been approved for a $25.2 million high-tech state tax credit over 15 years in addition to a $100 million battery cell state tax credit over four years. A123Systems is one of Michigan's six Centers of Energy Excellence and has entered into a development and manufacturing agreement with Chrysler LLC to provide battery systems for the company's ENVI product line.

Solicore Accelerates Battery Production Scale-Up

Solicore Inc. of Lakeland, Florida, has produced more than 1,000,000 batteries in the first quarter of 2009. Solicore produces batteries on its high speed manufacturing line, which has recently completed scale-up activity and is now capable of producing in excess of two million units per month — the equivalent of approximately two batteries every three seconds.

Running continuously, the new high speed line allows Solicore to scale production to meet customer and market demand for thin film lithium polymer batteries.

"We've cut down the time it takes to switch between battery sizes on the high speed manufacturing line; what once took days, now takes only a matter of hours and consistently produces premium product from the line. This allows for greater flexibility to expand capacity as demand continues to increase across all battery sizes," says Dan Tillwick, COO for Solicore.

Ener1 Joins New Clean-Tech Consortium

Gassenheimer

Indianapolis, Indiana-based Ener1 Inc., the only Li-ion battery manufacturer with commercial-scale production facilities in the U.S. of automotive grade quality, has become a member of the newly launched Energy Systems Network (ESN). Charles Gassenheimer, Ener1's chairman and CEO, will join ESN's board of directors.

ESN is an Indiana-based consortium bringing together national energy leaders, manufacturing executives, state officials and civic leaders to create new economic opportunities and strengthen energy independence by advancing the electric drive vehicle industry.

The ESN consortium is already pursuing two significant projects: the Hoosier Heavy Hybrid Partnership, focused on bringing medium- and heavy-duty hybrid vehicles to market; and Project Plug-IN, which will integrate plug-in electric vehicles and smart grid technologies for a group of central Indiana commuters in one of the nation's first large-scale pilot projects. Private and institutional investors have already pledged nearly $1.5 million to support the ESN's activities over the next two years.

EaglePicher Supplies Battery Cells to Space Station

EaglePicher Technologies LLC of Joplin, Missouri, has supplied nickel hydrogen battery cells to Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) for the International Space Station.

Mission STS-119 was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 15. The Discovery mission's main objective is to install the fourth set of solar array wings to the International Space Station platform and the last segment of its truss. The SS/L batteries, assembled with EaglePicher battery cells, will be used to power the Space Station while the solar arrays are in the Earth's shadow, which occurs approximately 15 times each day and lasts about 30 minutes.

Nickel hydrogen, which EaglePicher has supplied to the program since 1993, is known for its long life and resistance to damage from over-charge or over-discharge, and has been the preferred chemistry choice in space applications for more than 25 years.
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Blue Energy Begins Construction of New Plant

Blue Energy Co. Ltd., a new joint venture company between GS Yuasa and Honda for the manufacturing, sales and R&D of lithium-ion batteries for vehicles, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to start of construction of its Osadano Plant in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Japan.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by approximately 100 dignitaries and guests, including Keiji Yamada, the governor of Kyoto prefecture, and Masaji Matsuyama, the mayor of Fukuchiyama city, as well as Makoto Yoda, president and CEO of GS Yuasa Corp., Takeo Fukui, president and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and Masahiko Oshitani, president of Blue Energy Co. Ltd.

SymPowerco Enters Discussions with HET

SymPowerco Corp. has entered expanded joint development discussions with Hybrid Energy Technologies Inc. (HET) of Toronto, Canada. The discussions will investigate potential design and manufacturing synergies between the two companies.

The discussions relate to HET's flat plate battery technologies and SymPowerco's Flowing Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (FEDMFC) and how certain design and manufacturing facilities and processes might be combined in shared facilities.

SymPowerco and HET are partners in the development of hybrid power systems through their jointly owned subsidiary, Polygenic Power Systems Inc.

Polygenic Power Systems Inc. manages all aspects of SymPowerco's FEDMFC program including in-house and institutional research and development, grant applications, and management of the multiple projects associated with the program. PPSI will market the fuel cell, fuel cell hybrid power systems and related technologies.

Chrysler Forms Strategic Alliance with A123Systems

Chrysler LLC has signed an agreement with A123Systems for advanced Nanophosphate™ Lithium-ion prismatic battery cells, and jointly developed battery modules and battery packs for Chrysler's ENVI range-extended electric vehicle and battery-only electric vehicle production programs. Chrysler intends to bring the company's first production electric vehicle to market in 2010.

Watertown, Massachusetts-based A123Systems is currently planning a site in Michigan where it will manufacture the Nanophosphate Lithium-ion prismatic battery cells, modules and battery packs for Chrysler.

Electrovaya Battery for PHEV Hummer

Electrovaya of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, provided the battery pack used in the Hummer H3 ReEV range-extended electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) showcased at the 2009 SAE International World Congress in Detroit, Michigan on April 20-23.

As a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the ReEV Hummer H3 offers the dual benefits of a 40-mile all-electric driving range and the extended-range operation of a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine offering up to 100mpg.

The FEV-integrated Hummer features a 40kWh, 700V Electrovaya battery system including Electrovaya's Lithium Ion SuperPolymer® battery and integrated intelligent battery management system technologies. All Electrovaya products including its cells, electronics and battery systems are designed and manufactured in North America, using a zero emission manufacturing process. Electrovaya cells have a flat geometry due to their pouched prismatic construction. This provides better heat-dissipation, packaging, power and the ability to provide large battery systems.

New Toshiba Battery Recharges in 90 Seconds

Toshiba has improved its Super Charge Ion Battery technology to the point where a 90 second recharge is possible. With enough amperage it would actually be faster to recharge than to fill up with gas.

Li-ion batteries are actually using a lithium-cobalt cathode acting against a graphite anode. They work great for high density energy needs but suffer from somewhat sluggish charge times, reduced power capacity over successive charges and they blow up when things go bad.

Toshiba's SCiB batteries use a lithium titanate-based cathode which reduces energy density, but achieves significantly faster charge times and suffers much less capacity degradation over time. It's also completely inert compared to lithium cobalt batteries. The initial versions charged in about five minutes but Toshiba has announced improvements which slashes charge time down to 90 seconds per cell.

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