Hyundai hybrid first to have lithium polymer battery
We've been keeping pretty close tabs on the Hyundai Avante / Elantra LPI mild electric hybrid. Just when we thought there couldn't possibly any new details to add about the propane burner, out pops a press release from the Korean manufacturer announcing that the LG Chem-supplied battery underpinning the hybrid component of the car will actually be lithium polymer (li-poly) as opposed to the lithium ion type that had been previously publicized. Now you may be thinking to yourself, understandably, "Ok, so what? What's that even mean?" Well, we could tell you that the electrolyte in the li-poly battery is held within a solid polymer composite instead of an organic solvent, but that probably wouldn't mean as much as the hard numbers describing its energy capacity and longevity and such. Unfortunately, those numbers weren't supplied by Hyundai who were content only to say this formulation has "...higher energy density, lower manufacturing costs, being more robust to physical damage and they can also take more charge–discharge cycles before storage capacity begins to degrade." Thank you, Hyundai.
We will have to take their word for those claims for now. If they do manage to begin retail sales of the car in Korea around this time next year, as currently planned, at least one of the other claim touted in their bulletin should indeed be true. They will be the first to feature this chemistry. For all the details and chest thumping, check out the press release after the break.
[Source: Hyundai]
PRESS RELEASE
July 08, 2008 Hyundai to Start Retail Sales of First Hybrid in July 2009
– World´s first LPI hybrid, first to use advanced Lithium–Polymer batteries
– Operation costs poised to be lowest of any hybrid in the market
– "Hybrid premium" cost can be recouped in two years through fuel savings
– Emits just 103g/km of CO2 and 90% fewer pollutants to qualify as Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle
– Initial sales restricted to Korea
(Seoul, Korea) Hyundai Motor Company plans to start retail sales of its first LPG–electric hybrid vehicle in July 2009. To be sold initially in the Korean domestic market under the Avante badge, the Elantra LPI Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) is the world´s first hybrid vehicle to be powered by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and the first to adopt advanced Lithium Polymer (Li–Poly) batteries.
Powered by a Liquefied Petroleum Injected (LPI) Gamma engine displacing 1.6 litres, a 15kW electric motor and a continuously variable transmission, the Elantra LPI HEV is a mild–type hybrid capable of delivering a competitive fuel economy rating.
"The Elantra LPI HEV demonstrates Hyundai´s innovative approach: We have leveraged Hyundai´s world leadership in LPG–fueled vehicles to develop a hybrid that will be very economical to operate," said Dr. Hyun–Soon Lee, president of the Research and Development Division.
Comparing operating costs among different types of hybrid vehicles currently available in the marketplace, the Elantra LPI HEV promises to be the cheapest of all to run. The Elantra LPI HEV promises to be as much as 40 percent cheaper to operate than other competitor models in the marketplace and 50 percent less than a conventional Elantra model powered by a gasoline–only engine. (Calculations are based on Korean domestic retail price of 1,907.08 KRW per liter of gasoline and LPG price of 1,828.65 KRW per kilogram as of the first week of June).
The Elantra LPI HEV will have a premium cost compared to a conventional Elantra due to the extra hardware (Li–Poly battery, DC motor and electrical control system). However, with the resulting fuel savings, Elantra LPI HEV buyers can expect to recover the extra cost of the vehicle in about two years.
In addition, the Elantra LPI HEV emits just 103g/km of CO2 and 90 percent fewer emissions than an equivalent standard gasoline–powered Elantra to qualify as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV).
The Elantra LPI HEV will be the first car in the world to use lithium polymer rechargeable batteries, which will be supplied solely by LG Chem*, one of the leading producers of the batteries. Li–poly batteries have significant advantages over lithium–ion batteries including higher energy density, lower manufacturing costs, being more robust to physical damage and they can also take more charge–discharge cycles before storage capacity begins to degrade.
Hyundai developed its very first hybrid electric vehicle in 1995 when it unveiled the Future Green Vehicle at the Seoul Motor Show. In 1999, it showed an Elantra HEV and in 2000, an Accent HEV, both of which featured hard–type parallel electric drive systems and integrated Starter Generator technology. However, these research development vehicles did not go into mass production.
In 2004, the company delivered 50 Getz gas–electric hybrid vehicles (B–segment vehicles badged as Hyundai Click in the Korean domestic market) to Korean government agencies as part of a fleet demonstration project. These were mild–type hybrid systems using 12kW motors and nickel metal hydride batteries. The hybrid technology development program continued to expand and in 2005, Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. delivered 350 more units to the demonstration fleet, 730 more units in 2006 and 1,682 more units in 2007, including Accent HEVs.
Current plants call for expanding the hybrid vehicle line–up to include mid–sized sedans in 2010.
Initial sales of the Elantra LPI HEV are to be restricted to the Korean domestic market. However, the LPI Hybrid could be exported to markets which are served by an excellent LPG distribution infrastructure.
As the Elantra LPI HEV remains under development, more detailed technical specifications will be released closer to the July 2009 launch date.
* About LG Chem
LG Chem, the world´s fourth–largest rechargeable battery producer, was established in 1947 as the first chemical company in Korea.
LG Chem is a global chemical company that employs more than 140,000 employees working in the areas of petrochemicals, industrial materials, and information and electronic materials, generating annual revenues in the range of KRW 8 trillion through worldwide operations.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RDS 1:03PM (7/09/2008)
The problem with LPG is much like hydrogen fueling stations, they're not entirely easy to find. You can't exactly run out to Home Depot and pick up a propane tank to use in your car. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a South Korean-specific market vehicle, not designed for the US. Their infrastructure is there and it's a stronger market.
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Russell 10:01AM (7/10/2008)
LPG is everywhere in Korea. But LPG just an another form of fuel. It could have been gasoline, diesel, or other source. People, don't get hang up on the LPG. I don't know why people are fixated with this form of energy. This isn't the first time I read where some people have said, "LPG isn't available in US." I am like, no Ding Bat, it's just one of the energy source that this particular vehicle uses and it can be replaced with other energy source.
Joseph 7:56PM (7/09/2008)
This sounds more like a small fleet of cars they will be selling. It runs on LPG, is only available in Korea and the president of R&D says, "The Elantra LPI HEV demonstrates Hyundai´s innovative approach." Demonstrates. Is this just a demonstration? They don't even mention how many they plan to sell.
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Russell 10:02AM (7/10/2008)
The article says "July 08, 2008 Hyundai to Start Retail Sales of First Hybrid in July 2009." It's in a bold font on the top of their press release. Why don't people read?
If you do little more digging, you would know that Hyundai's previous alternative fuel vehicles were mostly sold to the government entities. Now, it says in the article that these cars will be sold to the consumers. "Initial sales of the Elantra LPI HEV are to be restricted to the Korean domestic market. However, the LPI Hybrid could be exported to markets which are served by an excellent LPG distribution infrastructure."
ROOLLY 2:49PM (7/09/2008)
Those spiffy batteries power a 20 HP electric motor that's connected to an emissions-reducing LPI (liquid-petroleum-injected). Why did they give up so easily on the "Solid Petroleum Injected" engine?
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John Rowell 4:38PM (7/09/2008)
I hope they begin offering them here in California soon, we already have the Honda Civic Natural Gas powered vehicle, it would be great to have the world's first natural gas + lithium battery hybrid rolling around our streets!
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John Rowell 4:47PM (7/09/2008)
Hyundai has a nice little CG video about this on their website, at http://worldwide.hyundai-motor.com/common/html/innovation/environment/hybrid_cars_introduction.html
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Alexander Peijnenborgh 11:07AM (7/10/2008)
In the Netherlands there is a complete LPG infrastructure, they would be very usable there. Only problem is when you want to take your car for a holiday it gets a bit difficult. Since the current LPG cars are also able to drive on normal gas they don't have that problem.
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alex 9:39PM (12/13/2008)
you can convert standard engine to lpg, so chances are you can do it in reverse. though seeing as lpg is apparently not available in the us then obviously one that runs on lpg would not be released there.
mmm lithium polymer. *drool*
they are the same cells that are used in high performance electric radio control helis and planes. extremely high energy density per weight even compared to a normal lithium (like whats in a mobile phone or ipod)
comparison between Lead acid (like in your car) and lithium polymer
Lead acid has 400 watts of power per kilo.
lithium polymer has up to 1000 watts of power available per kilo of battery.
so they can effectively hold up to 2x what a lead acid can and supply it alot quicker.
however things could get nasty in a crash if the cells were to be damaged, thats alot of energy stored.
so dont crash :P
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Chris M 11:39PM (12/13/2008)
You've confused "energy" with "power".
"Watts" is a measurement of power, "watt-hour" is a measurement of energy.
Of course, Lithium polymer are very good on both power and energy.
rservatius 11:02AM (6/23/2009)
640 watts = 1 horsepower therefore 15kw = 23 horsepower; not 20 hp.
this article would have been much more interesting if it had included comparison
data for: different batteries, driving ranges with and without the use of LPG, ability to climb road grades fully loaded, total cost of vehicle, cost of replacement batteries, LPG fittings standardized?, when is the auto expected to be on sale in the usa?
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Dave 11:29PM (7/04/2009)
Screw what the infrastructure is! You change it. Are we doomed to stay stuck in the past because people will not change to a higher efficiency and most of all less pollutants? That is just plain ignorant. If you truly want to see why its hard to change is because the establishment that runs our country are all oil tycoons. To change for them means an end. I simply say to them....not screw them, but to invest! They can still run it all, just change the venue. How much more do you think the world can take to keep millions of people accross the world driving thier stinky polluting cars? What happens to the worlds oxygen count, the safety of breathing air? Is it more economical to keep destroying the world than it is to help it? That is just plain stupid.
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