Johnson Controls boss confident in li-ion tech, worries about supply base
Click the plug-in hybrid Escape for a high res gallery
Michael Andrews, director-government affairs at Johnson Controls, is like most in the auto industry: he now believes that lithium ion battery technology will prove to be technologically viable. The problem as Andrews sees it is the manufacturing supply base. Currently, there is not much of a supply base to speak of in North America. If the industry is to go electric in any significant volumes that situation will have to change, and quickly. Aside from the Cobasys nickel metal hydride batteries used in the GM mild hybrid vehicles, all of the hybrids on sale right now have batteries sourced from overseas.
According to Andrews, the big issue will be getting equipment for producing the anodes and cathodes at the heart of the cells. Several battery makers, including EnerDel and A123 Systems, have applied for government loans through the AVTM program in order to fund new U.S.-based manufacturing facilities. It will still take several years for those factories to come online; until that happens automakers will have to continue importing batteries, adding significantly to costs.
Related:
- ABG First Impression: Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid w/Video
- AutoblogGreen Drives the HySeries Ford Edge and fuel cell Explorer
- Ford's Nancy Gioia discusses hybrids and plug-ins
Gallery: ABG First Drive: Ford Escape PHEV
Gallery: Washington 2009: Ford Escape PHEV
[Source: Ward's Auto World]
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Woodenbee 9:57AM (2/24/2009)
Well according to our republican friends we can all forget about EV technology, its just a waste of taxpayers money! apparently dependence on saudi oil and the wretched corporations that profit from it is a good thing? that bastion of media distortion CNN is hosting a blog for a fresh faced new republican to spout his braindead, kneejerk comments, for example and I quote "Each hour there was a new story about more pork and government intervention. One morning the hot topic was a picture of Hillary Clinton riding in a "green" golf cart and the revelation that the stimulus gives $300 million to fund these golf carts." so pack up your teslas and your fisker Karmas they're all just golf carts to these morons!!!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/19/chaffetz.vote.no/index.html
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diffrunt 11:35AM (2/24/2009)
Just ONE of those wasted bankerbillions could put USA in the battery biz, but that would make too much sense. A shame that common sense & politics are incompatible.
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dude 1:19PM (2/24/2009)
What is this guy talking about? The problem is $$$ not the equipment. Hirano would be more then happy to provide you with as many coaters as you want. Hope nobody miss interpreted his comments.
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