Boston-Power readies long-lasting laptop batteries

Upstart Boston-Power is within months of having its long-lasting batteries shipped in notebook PCs, as it eyes expansion into portable power packs and electric cars.

The three-year-old company says its Sonata batteries are able to recharge to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes, versus two hours to get to a 90 percent charge in conventional notebook batteries. And Boston-Power's batteries can be recharged 1,000 times before their performance starts to wane, versus 150 times in today's laptops, according to founder and CEO Christina Lampe-Onnerud. Typically, the amount of computing time that a laptop battery supplies goes down after hundreds of charges.

Boston-Power founder and CEO Christina Lampe-Onnerud holding a Sonata lithium ion battery cell.

(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET Networks)

I caught up with Lampe-Onnerud on Tuesday at the Fourth Conference on Clean Energy in Boston. Ironically, we bumped into each other at a water cooler where I was doing what so many laptop toters are stuck doing: plugging into a free outlet because my battery was dying.

Lampe-Onnerud says the arrival of Sonata batteries will mean a completely different user experience, allowing people to go all day without having to carry cords and search out public power outlets.

Hewlett-Packard last year said it has tested Boston-Power's batteries.

Without mentioning HP by name, Lampe-Onnerud said Boston-Power expects to announce its first customer soon. A company representative on Wednesday said Sonata-powered laptops will be available early next year. Lampe-Onnerud added that the company is working with smaller laptop providers as well.

Boston-Power, which has raised $70 million, has a technology road map to improve further on performance. In its labs, it has batteries able to recharge 1,400 times. Next year, it intends to release a portable power source for recharging consumer electronics, either through a USB connection or a small solar panel, Lampe-Onnerud said.

In two years, it expects to have a product for plug-in electric cars, she added. "The specifications for laptops and electric cars are remarkably close," she said.

The company has done a number of things to improve lithium ion battery performance and safety, according to Lampe-Onnerud. The company has also redesigned the battery pack to have fewer cells and has made a number of manufacturing improvements, she explained.

She argued that the Sonata batteries are a "clean technology" because they are more energy-efficient. The company also seeks to use less harmful reactive chemicals and no heavy metals.

To manufacture its batteries--a significant business challenge for any new battery company--Boston-Power has set up factories in Taiwan and China.

[sjschaef]

What would be interesting to see is this company looking at companies that use a standard battery throughout a popular model of computer (such as Apple or Dell?) and then selling their batteries to the consumer directly. That way you could ditch (recycle) your old batteries and go for this one. I would pay $100+ for a battery that lasts for years that I can use all day over any laptop battery I have every used.

[sathoro]

Same, good point. And I bet that it would cost less to buy it yourself than to buy it with your computer through the computer manufacturer like Dell.

[Kesteral]

The design and shape of a laptop battery is patented by the laptop manufacturer to keep that exact thing from happening. Apple, Dell, HP, and other laptop makers don't want outside companies horning in on their profit.

[Rants&Raves]

Kesteral: get on with the times, I`ve been buying aftermarket batteries (and getting better experience with them) for the last 3 years without a single difficulty. First for my Toshiba, next for my Asus EEE 1000 (10 hours and a half of charge is a lot better than what the official alternatives propose !)

[sanenazok]

Wow a company with an actual product that we'll see in stores. It sure sounds great. What about EEStor?

[mlamonica]

EEStor tends to be very quiet about what they're doing. There are some doubts about them, but back in August they were saying they are on track: http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/21171/?nlid=1252

[ruminator]

the babe with the battery is hot

[Joe Real]

How much are these compared to A123's batteries?
A123's batteries are the safest, can be quickly recharged, and can endure at least 150,000 charginf/discharging cycles. These are currently bundled up with DeWalt's power tools for DIY handymen/women. I was wondering why they did not go into notebooks yet. The A123 batteries could outlast the notebook computers, and lasts 150 times longer than what the lady is showing us. I would only guess a difference in the pricing.

[pdaaccessory]

hmm interesting, i recently bought a new battery it works good and have a good quality...........
http://www.pdaaccessories.com/searchCategory.asp?catID=Laptop%20Battery