Sandia National Labs puts lithium to the test
The great hope for lithium batteries is their energy density. With six times the energy capacity of lead acid, and two to three times that of the Nickel Metal Hydride chemistry used in every hybrid and all-electric cars such as the Toyota RAV4 EV, they offer promise of longer range zero-emission driving with less weight. The problem has been a tendency of some lithium chemistries to heat up and burn. The Sandia National Laboratory has been using its expertise to test the various types to ascertain which will perform to standards required for use in plug-in vehicles. The Department of Energy is funding the FreedomCAR program to put the batteries, supplied by manufacturers, through the paces. Nails are driven through the batteries, and they are overcharged and subjected to extreme heat.
As reported at Azonano.com, the results have been extremely positive. "Lithium-ion batteries, generally found in laptop computers and power tools, have greatly improved over the past few years," says Peter Roth, lead researcher for Sandia's FreedomCAR battery efforts. "In fact, they have improved so much that we expect to see them in hybrids later this year and possibly even in short-range plug-in hybrids within two years."
With Tesla Motors poised to begin delivering its fully certified lithium-powered Roadster by the dozens within a month or so, it looks like Sandia's expectations are to be exceeded.
[Source: Azonano.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Noah 2:49PM (4/02/2008)
With this tech improving (along with ultra-capacitors), it should be soon to see PHEV's gradually extending their electric-only range (40, then 60, then 80, 100). Shouldn't really be necessary if cities setup cheap trickle-charge stations.
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