Larger ‘Car Sized’ Lithium batteries
Posted By RichC on July 29, 2006
I read several articles today highlighting a Texas company called Valence Technology who has come up with a way to “throttle the explosive properties” of charging and discharging batteries. This technology makes the lithium ion batteries that are used in notebook computers and cellphone available in larger sizes.
My first thought is to use bigger batteries to power hybrid and electric powered vehicles and that exactly what Valence is doing. One of the problems last month that I mentioned when interviewing Dana Myers of Myers Motors was low tech batteries and motors. (they are working on this) For their NmG all electric car they selected traditional gel-cell Optima batteries to keep down cost, achieve many more charges and decrease the danger of charging and discharging batteries rapidly. (unfortunately that leaves their little one seater car with a 30 mile per charge range) But things are changing as according to CNET, there is a least one all electric car company, Tesla Motors, who recently unveiled an all-electric sports car that uses the new lithium ion battery pack.
Valence has a technique using its “U-Charge Power System lithium ion batteries” that uses a different cathode material inside a battery; it has patented this technology as Saphion®. Where most lithium ion batteries have a cobalt oxide cathode Valance Technology used one made of metal phosphate. The downside is that batteries with the metal phosphate can store only about 75 percent of the energy a traditional lithium ion battery can hold but, the phosphate won’t burn. In traditional lithium ion batteries, heat inside the battery can cause the cobalt oxide cathode to decompose.
As I mention earlier, devices with larger batteries are most interested in this technology. Valance sees the biggest potential market where current hybrid vehicles want to also offer plug in power. There are companies that convert hybrid cars into plug-in hybrids, which offer the advantage of running significally farther under battery power. Several other potential markets for these larger lithium batteries are wheelchairs, scooters and as replacement for marine deep cycle batteries.
I’m posting this particular Volkswagen TDI 
eFlybook
Don’t get too worried that I’m switching automotive brand loyalty just yet, but with Honda eventually entering the US diesel game I’m going to be taking a close look. (within 3 years we’ve been told) A recent article in the 
the Civic and the CR-V. John Watts, manager of Honda’s US product planning, suggested that “That 2.2 could probably crank out about 200 horsepower and about 220 [pounds-feet of] torque at little rpm, vehicles like the Pilot [SUV] and Odyssey [minivan] are too big for a four-cylinder.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Honda is considering importing the clean 2.2 liter diesel showing some pretty impressive performance over in Europe, but actually a vehicle like the Pilot and the Odyssey currently operate pretty well on a gasoline engine delivering 244 horsepower and 244 lb.-ft of torque. My thought is that a 2.2 liter diesel at 200 horsepower isn’t necessarily all that far off considering that Volkswagen’s Jetta, New Beetle, Golf and even the Passat operate with 4 cylinder diesels that develop only about 100 HP. (hey … its a diesel and low rpm torque is the key)
Although I am a VW TDI ‘diesel’ owner, I do keep my eye on the hybrid world too. This weekend in Madison Wisconsin the 
thinking that it would focus a bit more on a variety of alternatives … it did sort of, but for the most part was disappointing. There were two brief mentions of biodiesel at about the 25 minute and 36 minute marks and considerable conversation about ethanol. (not all that informative or complete in my opinion) The GE plant video segment on wind turbines was interesting as was the debate on what we should be doing to reduce our addiction. The conclusion that conservation techniques could really make a difference in the US demand was good as was the debate about producing more domestic petroleum. I don’t recall any concern for environment but all guests seem to agree that depending on middle east oil was not healthy for America.