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GM, A123Systems to co-develop battery
August 10, 2007
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reprintMassachusetts battery maker A123Systems said yesterday that it would work with General Motors (NYSE: GM) to develop batteries for the car maker's new Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle.
The new batteries will use A123System's Nanophosphate battery chemistry for use in GM's electric drive E-Flex system.
The Detroit automaker first showed off its E-Flex architecture this year in the Chevy Volt concept car.
In April, A123Systems' batteries made the news when The KillaCycle, the world's fastest electric vehicle, broke the world record again using lithium-ion batteries from A123Systems (see Motorcycle powered by A123Systems sets new world speed record).
Earlier this year, GM awarded contracts for advanced development of battery packs to Michigan-based Compact Power, a subsidiary of Korean battery maker LG Chem, and to Continental Automotive Systems, a unit of Germany's Continental.
Compact Power will use battery cells developed by its parent company, while Continental will use the cells being co-developed by GM and A123Systems.
GM's hybrid models now in production include the GM diesel hybrid electric system for large city buses, the Saturn Vue and Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid models and the Chevy Malibu hybrid.
Founded in 2001, A123Systems' Nanophosphate technology is based on a nanoscale material originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The company has raised over $100 million in private funding to date.
Investors include Alliance Bernstein, FA Technology Ventures, North Bridge Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, YankeeTek and others.
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Comments
As usual, article is confused
Submitted on August 11th, 2007 by InterestedReaderI don't know. Maybe GM needs to make a device that will allow them to indelibly stamp the facts to a story into the forehead of the reporters and the website editors so they don't screw it up.
First, the announcement the other day of a collaborative agreement between GM and the most prestigious battery developer out there to develop new batteries was just that. While it's conceivable that an advanced battery resulting from this collaboration might make it into the first version of the VOLT, now firmly set for launch in 2010, that's neither likely nor necessary - the batteries that will be installed into that first version have yet to be selected - that will occur around June of next year and will be either A123 Systems, LG, or both. It's obvious from reports freely available to the public (via www.gm-volt.com - an unofficial website with access to all of the VOLT project people) that both battery companies have finished development of the battery they have designed for the VOLT and are both very confident that it will meet GM's specs. In fact, at that public announcement, it was also announced that GM will have prototype battery packs from both suppliers by October, and test cars running by end of year. Official acceptance testing begins in the Spring.
Therefore, there is no "new" battery design required in order for the VOLT to launch in 2010, although there remains the possibility that a newer GM/A123 Systems battery will emerge before launch and supercede what's scheduled to go into the vehicle.
A123 ready for PHEV battery packs in 2008
Submitted on August 11th, 2007 by InterestedReaderA123 has also said it will make mass market battery packs for the Plug-in Hybrids PHEV in 2008 and is targeting a cost of about $10-12K with a 1 hour installation. Then your 04 or newer Prius can get 100+ mph on trips less than 60 miles. Even more on shorter trips.
I'm ready to convert my 05 Prius and would pay that price anytime they are ready. I will even give them Desert testing info since I'm in the Phoenix AZ area. I can also charge up from Renewable Energy on my grid tied solar system.
We already get 50+ mpg and I car pool with 3 of us so we get 150+ mpp, Mile Per Passenger. Soon I could get over 300+ MPP !
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