Green Tech

A Humvee made by American General.

(Credit: AM General)

Lithium-ion battery manufacturer EnerDel has signed an 18-month, $1.29 million contract with the U.S. Army to design and test hybrid battery options for the Humvee.

Trying to power the iconic fuel-guzzling High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV aka Humvee) with a battery, may seem like trying to put out a fire with a garden hose. But a lithium-ion battery system can deliver a lot of power from a battery quickly, giving a truck like the Humvee the thrust it requires.

EnerDel, a subsidiary of Ener1, will collaborate with the U.S. Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) on four possible power systems that could be implemented in the XM1124 version of the Humvee.

The company, which specializes in battery cell chemistry as well as the electronics and battery system designs, said it already has two viable options. EnerDel has developed a lithium-tatinate system in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory that could accommodate the acceleration and hard braking required for such a powerful vehicle like the Humvee. It also has a lithium-manganese system that would give a vehicle extra-long range and allow electronics to be run off the battery for extended periods of time before needing to be recharged.

As part of the 18-month contract, EnerDel will also be involved in testing the systems under "extreme performance simulations." In addition to putting the test vehicles through the usual Humvee paces of wading through water and mountain climbing, there will also be an endurance test.

That will include seeing how a hybrid Humvee fares as a power plant for a field hospital or temporary military post. The requirement makes perfect sense given the ease with which a Humvee can be transported to hard-to-reach areas. One of its key features has always been that it could be dropped in to virtually any terrain by parachute.

A Humvee being parachuted out of a plane.

(Credit: AM General)

The hybrid Humvee will also be more stealthy. Anyone who's had a close call with a Prius knows how dangerously silent hybrids can be in total battery mode. The hybrid version of the Humvee will have a powered-down "silent watch" mode that will allow it to run with its diesel generator off, reducing not only its noise, but also its thermal signature to avoid detection.

As always with major military project announcements, the company involved was quick to point out the down-the-road commercial application of its technology.

"In keeping with a long tradition, we also expect that innovations perfected here will have important benefits for the commercial markets," EnerDel President Rick Stanley said in a a statement.

There has already been interest in Raser Technologies' H3E, a plug-in hybrid version of a Hummer-branded SUV called the H3. While not truly a Hummer (the civilian version of the Humvee), the "Hummer-light" descendant has garnered the interest of even the most discerning Hummer enthusiasts.

So if EnerDel's batteries might be good enough to power a Hummvee, why haven't commercial automakers been knocking? They have actually. The company has signed research partnerships of varying commitment levels with Think Global, Fisker Automotive, Volvo, and Nissan. Its parent company, Ener1, is also working with U.S. utilities to develop smart grid storage units.

Lithium ion batteries used as energy storage for utilities will be a $1 billion industry by 2018, according to a report released Wednesday by Pike Research called "Energy Storage Technology Markets."

Much of the lithium ion battery development has been geared toward perfecting the batteries as power sources for electronics, and in recent years, cars. But the alternative energy industry is going to benefit from that research, too. Once that happens, there will be a surge in the sales of industrial-scale lithium ion batteries for power utilities, according to Pike research.

"Utilities will be the downstream beneficiaries of innovation and investment in lithium ion batteries for the transportation sector," Pike Research analyst David Link said in a statement.

The energy storage industry in general is poised to grow as more private and public organizations embrace wind and solar energy worldwide. Because wind and solar systems provide energy in bursts and their cycles are not usually in sync with local peak energy usage hours, power storage when using wind or solar will become an obvious necessity for utilities, according to Pike Research.

Out of eleven methods of energy storage, Pike Research found that lithium ion batteries for utility use will be the fastest growing segment of the storage industry.

Sodium Sulfur (NAS) batteries and kinetic storage systems like pumped hydro and Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) were seen as the next likely leading utility energy storage solutions.

The Watertown, Mass.-based company, which was spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, saw its share prices rise over 50 percent from its offering price to close at over $20.

A123 Systems' battery platform is being used for power tools, transportation, and power grid energy storage.

(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)

Through the initial public offering, the company is expected to raise over $400 million, Reuters reported. It had initially hoped to net $250 million but adjusted its offering price to raise more.

A123 Systems' IPO has been closely watched in the green tech community because it is one of only a few energy-related companies started this decade to go public. It currently supplies batteries for power tools and has built large, megawatt-scale batteries for utilities.

It's also eyeing the automotive sector, a potentially much larger market. A123 Systems received a $249.1 million grant from the Department of Energy to build a lithium ion battery packs factory in Michigan as part of a $2.4 billion investment in the plug-in electric car supply chain.

A123 Systems' IPO was the second most successful of the year, Reuters reported. A123 initially filed to go public in August of 2008.

Although it was a strong IPO, some energy storage experts say that lithium ion batteries, which will be used in a number of upcoming plug-in electric vehicles, need to come down in costs significantly for electric cars to be more mainstream.

I'm a big fan of "German engineering"--that combined focus on power and precision that distinguishes the better automobiles designed or manufactured in Germany.

At Frankfurt's International Motor Show, BMW will be showing off two new hybrid cars intended to deliver the full promise of German engineering. This is no small thing because most hybrid cars to date have been lightly built and somewhat underpowered in order to improve fuel economy.

The two new BMWs are more like previous offerings from that company: big, solid cars with lots of power to maintain performance in spite of the weight. They're also real cars, not just prototypes.

Fortunately, I don't need to describe these new cars here; there's a great article by Antuan Goodwin over on CNET's Car Tech blog that does a fine job of that (see "BMW unveiling two big hybrid models at Frankfurt"). What I would like to do instead is to drill down into their respective powertrains, which represent two different solutions to high-performance hybrid design, using images provided by BMW.

The ActiveHybrid X6, due to go on sale in the U.S. later this year, represents one end of the spectrum: higher-power electric motors and a larger battery pack. As the first image shows, the new X6 model has a twin-turbo V8 gas engine with 400 horsepower. Though this is a reasonably efficient engine for its size, it certainly wasn't chosen primarily for its fuel economy.

BMW's ActiveHybrid X6 uses a large NiMH battery pack and a new transmission with two integrated electric motors to augment its 400-horsepower gasoline engine.

(Credit: BMW)

The large NiMH (nickel metal hydride) battery pack is also visible in this view, mounted above the rear drivetrain components and below the floor of the luggage compartment. This battery pack holds 2.4 kWh (kilowatt-hours) of energy; BMW also specifies a "nominal" 1.4 kWh figure, but doesn't explain the difference between total capacity and nominal capacity. I suspect the difference may be related to improving battery lifespan, or perhaps provide some extra storage to ensure that electric braking assist (regenerative braking) is always available. BMW does say that this braking mode can generate as much as 50 kilowatts of power and 0.3 g of deceleration force.

In the following view of the X6's transmission, the electric motors are shown built right into a new transmission that BMW describes as an "electric continuously variable transmission"--the electric motors and three planetary gearsets work together to provide the equivalent of seven gear ratios.

The transmission in the ActiveHybrid X6 has two integrated electric motors totalling 177 horsepower.

(Credit: BMW)

Interestingly, with ratings of 91 and 86 horsepower respectively, the two electric motors could provide a total of 177 horsepower, but the vehicle isn't designed to operate that way. BMW specifies a maximum system output for the ActiveHybrid X6 of 480 horsepower, reflecting a maximum contribution from the electric motors of around 80 horsepower.

Part of the issue here is that the battery pack is rated at a maximum output of 57 kW, roughly 76 horsepower, so there isn't enough electrical power to drive both motors at full power. I expect there are also some issues related to heat and torque, but BMW hasn't offered a full explanation of this limitation.

It's also interesting to note that while the new X6 supports a pure electric drive operating mode, it's only good up to 37 mph and 1.6 miles. This figure is well below the energy capacity of the battery pack, probably reflecting more limitations imposed in the name of long-term reliability.

The ActiveHybrid 7, a hybrid version of BMW's 7-series luxury sedan due out in the spring of 2010, takes a very different approach. It has only a small electric motor positioned between the engine and transmission, and it comes with only a small lithium-ion battery pack. The following figure shows that the battery pack is located to the side of the trunk, leaving plenty of space for golf bags. (BMW says that four standard bags will still fit, which I suppose is a critical specification for 7-series customers.)

The ActiveHybrid 7 is powered by a 440-horsepower gasoline engine and a small 20-horsepower electric motor with a lithium-ion battery pack.

(Credit: BMW)

Zooming into the transmission in the following picture, we can see the pancake-style electric motor in front of what appears to be a fairly conventional 8-speed automatic transmission. In its press release, BMW does emphasize that this is a new transmission design "specifically tailored to the demands of hybrid technology," but the release doesn't explain how this gearbox differs from the 8-speed automatics on previous BMW cars.

The ActiveHybrid 7's electric motor is tucked away between the gas engine and a conventional 8-speed automatic transmission.

(Credit: BMW)

The new 7's electric motor produces a mere 15 kilowatts, roughly 20 horsepower. Together with the gas engine, the vehicle's maximum output is rated at 455 horsepower. The electric motor also functions as a starter motor for the gas engine and a generator to charge the two batteries on the car: a conventional 12V lead-acid battery and the 120V lithium-ion pack in the trunk.

The latter is a small pack storing only 400 watt-hours of energy--that's about like eight average laptop batteries. BMW doesn't mention whether the new 7 can run solely on the electric motor, but I doubt it; 20 horsepower probably isn't enough for that. Certainly the range would be negligible given the low battery capacity.

Instead, BMW describes the value of the electric motor in terms of two uses: first, it's powerful enough to restart the gas engine almost instantly (in less than one rotation of the crankshaft) so the engine can be shut down at stoplights, just as the Toyota Prius does. Second, the electric motor provides supplemental power while the gas engine is running, thus improving overall fuel efficiency. Since the battery can be charged by recovering braking energy, the power from the electric motor is often free.

BMW says the hybrid systems in the ActiveHybrid 7 were developed jointly with Daimler, maker of Mercedes automobiles. This partnership also led to some Mercedes models, and indeed, Mercedes has also introduced hybrids with powertrains similar to that of the ActiveHybrid X6. (Mercedes is announcing a new S500 hybrid in Frankfurt but didn't provide such nice pictures, so I didn't include it in this post.)

Both of these approaches will need to be developed substantially before they can reduce the total cost of owning and operating a motor vehicle. But it's clear that BMW, having waited this long to get into the hybrid car business, is giving its customers two very different choices. What the company does in the future will probably depend on how its customers respond.

Nothing grows in Chile's Salar de Atacama desert. It's the driest place on the planet, and one of the most remote. But to Tim McKenna, what's underground is paradise. He calls it, "the best place on earth."

McKenna's company produces lithium, the world's lightest metal. And lithium powers the batteries in the cell phones, BlackBerrys, and laptops that in turn power the world.

In Chile, the extraction process comes naturally: melting snow from the Andes Mountains runs into underground pools of salt water--or brine. That brine's pumped out. In a network of ponds, the desert sun evaporates out other salts, leaving lithium brine.

McKenna says, "the sun basically does all the work."

The brine's processed into white powder, lithium carbonate--a growing part of the world's energy future. Two companies, one American, one Chilean, produce half of the world's lithium in the salt basin in Chile.

As a source for battery power, demand for lithium is about to soar. This fall, Mercedes will sell the first lithium powered plug-in car. At least six more carmakers plan their own models. Chevy's new Volt is expected to get 230 mpg off of just one charge.

In your cell phone or BlackBerry battery, the lithium weighs one-tenth of an ounce. In a plug-in car, the battery's lithium weighs 20 pounds. In 10 years, lithium's price per pound has tripled to around $3, with only three major companies dominating the world's market in a half-dozen countries.

Chile, the largest supplier, has been called the "Saudi Arabia of lithium."

Energy analyst Ben Johnson said, "it looks very similar to an OPEC-style cartel. It's highly concentrated. The various producers are very secretive about their expansion plans and about their pricing movements."

Lithium producers deny that. Consumers will wait and see. But there's no denying, in the world's evolving energy science, lithium means power.

This story was written by Mark Strassman and originally posted at CBSNews.com.

Seeking out a better auto battery, Nissan Motor and EnerDel said Thursday that they will team up in support of research into a better conductive material for batteries.

The pact calls for the two companies to co-fund research at the Argonne National Laboratory to develop a new electrolyte made of a slurry liquid. The work is being done specifically for electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.

EnerDel lithium ion car battery.

(Credit: EnerDel)

EnerDel, which makes lithium ion batteries, has agreements to supply Think Global's city car and Fisker Automotive's luxury plug-in electric vehicle, both of which are expected to be available in the next year. Nissan, meanwhile, plans to unveil an all-electric sedan next week, which it plans to make available next year.

Lithium ion batteries will power a generation of electric cars slated to come to market in the next two years, replacing the nickel metal hydride batteries used in today's hybrids.

Lithium batteries, which are also used in consumer electronics, are relatively light and allow for higher energy density. But researchers have been looking at novel approaches to improve performance and cost, including different electrolytes.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Donald Sadoway and his student David Bradwell earlier this year built a prototype of "liquid battery" that uses three layers of molten metals--two for the battery's electrodes and an electrolyte liquid in the middle.

The advantage of this method is that the liquids allow for fast charging and discharging. Batteries built this way promise to be cheaper and last longer as well.

Updated at 7:00 a.m. PT with added information on MIT battery research. Updated at 11:45 PT on October 26 with correct first name of professor Sadoway.

Battery company Boston Power thinks it can bring electric car battery manufacturing to the U.S. with some help from government stimulus funds.

The Westborough, Mass.-based company on Monday is scheduled to hold a press event in nearby Auburn where it plans to build a factory to make lithium-ion batteries for laptops and electric vehicles.

A Ford Escape modified to run with Boston Power's Swing auto batteries.

(Credit: Boston Power)

Construction of the facility, which used to be a distribution center for a clothing retailer, is contingent on a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's advanced battery and cell manufacturing grant program.

Boston Power has applied for $100 million in the program and has lined up $9 million in state loans, according to founder and CEO Christina Lampe-Onnerud.

"The general feeling is that the stimulus money gives the investment community the shot in the arm to dare," she said.

The $2 billion advanced battery manufacturing program was established earlier this year in the stimulus act to promote development of domestic battery industry for a coming generation of electric vehicles.

Competition for the battery loan money, however, is fierce with about 160 companies said to be applying for the money. The U.S. Energy Department, which was criticized by renewable energy industries for delays, has said it expects to decide on the grants in the summer.

Photos: Boston Power thinks big with battery factory

Four-year-old Boston Power already operates three factories in Asia to make batteries for Hewlett-Packard laptops. Those plants will serve as a "blueprint" for the Auburn facility, Lampe-Onnerud said.

It could take about three years to build the plant, which the company could start working on later this year, she said.

Swinging into auto business
Boston Power on Monday is expected to disclose the name of its auto battery, called Swing, which the company has been developing for several months. The company expects to make batteries for plug-in electric vehicles as well as all-electric cars.

Lampe-Onnerud said Swing is already being tested with well-known auto companies. The auto pack is based on the same cells used in Boston Power's laptop batteries which means that it a single manufacturing facility can turn out both.

The company decided Massachusetts would make a good location because the state offered incentives and it's close to Boston Power's research and development facility.

At Monday's press conference, five Massachusetts politicians are scheduled to speak including Gov. Deval Patrick and Secretary of Energy and Environment Ian Bowles.

A Massachusetts location could be beneficial to working with European auto industry partners, Lampe-Onnerud said. "We have an opportunity to fulfill existing markets and be neighbors to where emerging markets are being invented," she said.

Volkswagen has a test fleet of 20 plug-in Twin Drive Golfs on the road, but no word on an exact production date.

(Credit: Volkswagen)

Volkswagen may be late to the gate with hybrids and electric cars, but its recent partnership with Chinese automaker and lithium ion battery producer BYD shows that the German car company is a serious contender in the race to supply the masses with an electric car.

Volkswagen has already signed letters of intent with Sanyo and Toshiba as suppliers for electric batteries, and the company is currently exploring an arrangement with BYD to supply VW with lithium ion batteries for its upcoming plug-in and all electric vehicles, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.

BYD is one of the largest manufacturers of lithium ion batteries. High demand and cost has made these batteries one of the road blocks to building affordable plug-in and electric vehicles.

However, the battery-maker-turned-car-manufacturer has been able to make stable and durable lithium ion batteries at half the cost of batteries produced in the west and Japan due to its safer, most cost-effective iron-phosphate-based lithium-ion technology.

Hewlett Packard on Monday said that its long-lasting Enviro laptop batteries from Boston Power are available with a three-year warranty.

The batteries costs $149.99 and fit 18 of HP's laptops. They can be purchased online now and will be available in stories later this month.

(Credit: Boston Power)

HP has branded Boston Power's Sonata batteries under the Enviro name to emphasize the environmental attributes. With a longer-lasting battery, consumers need to upgrade less often, which reduces the number of batteries that need to be recycled, HP said in a statement.

Last year, an HP representative estimated the Enviro line costs about $20 to $30 more than traditional batteries.

For start-up company Boston Power, the product release is a significant milestone.

Company founders started three years ago with a fresh design to improve the performance and environmental sustainability of laptop batteries.

While typical laptop batteries start to lose performance after 100 or 150 charges, Boston Power says that its batteries can be charged 1,000 times and get "like new" performance.

Boston Power also sought to use the environmentally conscious materials, eliminating the use PVC plastic andheavy metals cadmium, arsenic, or mercury in the manufacturing process.

In January, Boston Power raised a series D round of $55 million in capital in a difficult financial environment. It plans to expand its laptop battery manufacturing and move into different product categories, including mobile gadget chargers and transportation.

Updated at 7:52 a.m. PT with corrected number of HP laptops the batteries fit into.