Lithium Technology Corporation Drives Ahead With Battery Applications For Advanced Automotives
Plymouth Meeting, PA - Advances in lithium-ion battery technology over the past few years, and a shift in the mindset of auto manufacturers, have made hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) a viable alternative to traditional fuel-powered automotives for the near future, according to officials at Lithium Technology Corporation, a global provider of lithium-ion rechargeable power solutions. LTC has focused solely on the development and production of large format lithium-ion batteries for more than twenty years and offers solutions today to drive the future.
"There has been a change of mindset within the car industry over the past two years triggered by the success the Japanese have had with the HEV," comments Dr. Klaus Brandt, executive vice president of LTC and managing director of LTC subsidiary GAIA Akkumulatorenwerke (GAIA). "Large lithium-ion solutions have proven to be a technical reality for passenger cars and have achieved respectable performance."
LTC has powered a project in conjunction with Innosys Engineering in which a four passenger Daihatsu Cuore was converted into an electric car using the lithium-ion batteries and a three-phase asynchronous electric motor. The battery, built with cells manufactured by LTC subsidiary GAIA, has a capacity of 25 kWh and an approximate highway range of 180-200km (100-125 miles) at 90-100km/hr (56-60 mph). These results are similar to the expected performance of the recently announced Volt slated to be made available by General Motors in 2010.
"The technology is here today. LTC has it, and we've demonstrated it," says Dr. Brandt. "Price is the biggest factor holding back the production of these more environmentally friendly, fuel efficient vehicles. By committing to work together, the auto manufactures and battery companies can bring the cost down and make cars like the Volt an affordable reality for the consumer."
LTC's technology was recently highlighted in a video produced by Plug-In Partners, a national grass-roots initiative to demonstrate to automakers that a market for flexible-fuel PHEVs exists today. The full video discussing the economic and environmental benefits of PHEVs can be viewed on the Plug-In The piece featured a project in which LTC provided cells to the University of California, Davis Hybrid Electric Vehicle Group for the conversion of a Chevy Equinox to a PHEV as part of the Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility engineering competition.
The lithium-ion battery has the same capacity as the original metal hydride battery but with half the weight. The battery can be charged by either the internal combustion engine (ICE) or a standard AC household electrical socket and can drive over 40 miles on the overnight electrical charge. The converted vehicle has a fuel economy of 36 mpg in the city, and 38 mpg on the highway, as compared to the original Chevy Equinox range of 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
LTC is committed to providing sound energy solutions to the automotive market. The company has developed a comprehensive range of battery technologies and systems to satisfy all automotive on-board power/energy storage needs, from high energy requirements for Electric Vehicles (EVs) to high power systems for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs). The company combines its innovative end-to-end manufacturing processes with proprietary design, packaging and assembly techniques to supply customized battery systems specifically designed to each unique requirement.
SOURCE: Lithium Technology Corporation