11-17-2010 Li-ion battery news

Toyota Plans Hybrid, Electric Car Lab in China
By NORIHIKO SHIROUZU
BEIJING—Toyota Motor Corp. announced plans to open a research center in China that, among other things, aims to work on plug-in hybrids and all-electric battery car technology.
The Japanese auto maker said Wednesday it plans to invest $234 million to establish a technical center in the eastern city of Changshu, northwest of Shanghai. Toyota plans to open part of the center, to be called Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co., by early next year. It will start with some 200 employees, with the number of engineers and others eventually growing to 1,000, the company said.
The move comes as China's government is weighing the draft of 10-year plan that would set rules for how foreign auto makers transfer key technology to China if they opt to produce and market electric cars and plug-in hybrids in the nation, the world's largest auto market.
The plan, being prepared by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, has worried international auto executives because it suggests the government could compel foreign auto makers that want to produce electric vehicles in China to share critical technologies by requiring them to enter joint ventures in which they have minority stakes.
Hitoshi Yokoyama, a Beijing-based Toyota spokesman, said, however, that the newly established research center isn't likely to be used to carry out any such transfer of key technology to China, because the center is wholly owned by Toyota and is intended to do "more basic" research.
"It isn't that the new tech center isn't going to be engaged in technology transfer at all; we plan to work with our Chinese partners and universities using this research center," he said.
But developing actual components and vehicles using advanced "new energy" technology would be responsibilities of product-development centers Toyota jointly runs with its local Chinese partners: Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. and FAW Group Corp., Mr. Yokoyama said. He noted that if Toyota and other foreign auto makers are mandated by the Chinese government to transfer electric-car technology, it would do so via the two jointly owned product development centers.
According to Toyota, the new Changshu center will focus on market research, quality confirmation and assurance, and China-specific gasoline engines, as well as new-energy vehicle technologies.

Fuji Heavy Planning Hybrid Vehicle For U.S. In '12

The company unveiled the Subaru Hybrid Tourer concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show in October last year.
TOKYO (Nikkei)--Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (7270), the maker of Subaru cars, is planning to launch a hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in 2012.
The automaker will develop the hybrid with the help of leading shareholder Toyota Motor Corp. (7203). The move is intended to expand Fuji Heavy's sales in the southern U.S. and California, where its market shares have been low but interest in environment friendly cars is strong.
Details have not been disclosed, but it is understood that Fuji Heavy will not launch a dedicated hybrid vehicle like Toyota's Prius, instead adding a hybrid version to one of its mainstay midsize cars. The company plans to adapt Toyota's hybrid vehicle technology to work with Fuji Heavy's unique horizontally opposed engines.
Once completed, the hybrid will first be released in Japan in 2012, where demand for such vehicles is high. It will then be modified slightly for the U.S. market for release by the end of that year. For now, plans are to build it at Fuji Heavy's plant in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, for export to America, the company's largest market that accounts for nearly 40% of its global sales. The vehicle could be introduced in other overseas markets if U.S. sales take off.
In 2010, Fuji Heavy's U.S. sales are projected to rise 15.4% to 250,000 units, but most of that is coming from the snowy northern regions where customers tend to favor four-wheel-drive vehicles.
(The Nikkei Business Daily Nov. 17 edition)


Kyocera To Sell Recharging System For Electric Bicycles
KYOTO (Nikkei)--Kyocera Corp. (6971) said Tuesday that it will introduce a solar-powered recharging system for motor-assisted bicycles Wednesday.
The system consists of a solar module, which can be installed as a fence around the space where a bicycle is parked, and a control board. Recharging is done by removing the bicycle's battery and plugging it into the control board. Charge up your bike courtesy of the sun.
The solar module has an output capacity of 208 watts. The standard system configuration based on three solar modules is capable of recharging six batteries at a time. If the power output from the solar module is insufficient, the system will automatically tap the power line.
The standard system is priced at 1.89 million yen. Installation will be handled by a Kyocera group firm. It will cost several hundred thousand yen and take one to two days.
By pitching the system to commercial facilities, local governments, businesses and schools, Kyocera hopes to generate 300 million yen in annual sales.
(The Nikkei Nov. 17 morning edition)

Electric Car Tax Breaks: Will Battery Makers Benefit?
n a minor sign of sanity on Monday among clean transportation stock investors, a major headline regarding corporate America calling for federal subsidies to support electric car purchases failed to cause lithium-ion battery makers to pop. Maybe all those quarterly losses and rising expenses have finally tightened investors wallets when it comes to funding the next round of stock purchases in the clean transportation universe of stocks.

Big-picture headlines have the power to move clean transportation stocks more than earnings fundamentals. It's understandable, at least at this point, as these companies don't have profits to speak of. It also gets out of hand, headline to headline, as a lithium-ion battery maker like A123 Systems(AONE_) pops when General Electric(GE_) says it plans to convert a significant chunk of its corporate fleet to electric cars. Mind you, A123 doesn't even have its lithium-ion batteries available in a current model, but the fact that one of its financial backers, GE, is even moving in the direction of electric cars is enough to rally A123 shares, regardless of another earnings disappointment.


Hybrid Storage Device Combines Ultracapacitor, Battery Technologies
Ioxus device can store more than double the energy of traditional ultracapacitors and charge in a matter of seconds.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
By Peter Alpern
Technology developers have struggled for some time with the challenge of how to create a battery that’s powerful enough to operate an electric or hybrid vehicle, but also keep it relatively small in size and weight. Add to that equation how to keep these batteries affordable and it crystallizes just how complex the energy storage issue is becoming for next-generation technologies.
One promising energy storage technology has been ultracapacitors, which are devices able to store relatively little energy, but also deliver immense bursts of power.
Today, energy storage developer Ioxus announced a hybrid storage device that combines ultracapacitor technology with a lithium-ion battery. The hybrid capacitor, as it’s called, can store more than twice the energy of traditional ultracapacitors. The device, which is about the size of a C cell battery, can be charged in seconds.
The first generation of these hybrid capacitors are being targeted for automotive subsystems such as power windows and door locks, memory back-up, LED lighting and off-grid lighting.
In industrial applications, it is also well-suited for portable hand tools and industrial flashlights. A user, for instance, could fully charge a tool in 90 seconds, according to Ioxus chief operating officer Chad Hall.
“The technology has evolved in that we’ve taken the fast charge/discharge of ultracapacitors and improved the energy density by designing in a lithium ion electrode and putting it all in the same device,” said Hall.
That device, he explained, combines the activated carbon material of an ultracapacitor that stores charge and layers of lithium ion material wrapped in a cylinder form.
“The technology is evolving and I think that larger and larger hybrid capacitors will be developed to handle larger applications,” said Hall.
Next generation hybrid capacitors could power any application which requires repetitive motion or a regular start and stop. That could mean a garbage truck, a fork lift or other material handling devices, which stop every few hundred feet.
“The hybrid capacitor is a breakthrough in energy density and power that will fuel the development of environmentally friendly applications in markets from transportation to consumer goods,” said Ioxus CEO Mark McGough.


Saft in talks to enter Chinese market
(Reuters) - Saft (S1A.PA), the last big European battery producer, and its automotive partner Johnson Controls (JCI.N) are in talks with a number of local companies to enter the Chinese market for electric vehicles (EVs).
"It is a key effort of the executives of the joint venture to build these relationships in China," Chief Executive John Searle told the Reuters Global Autos Summit on Tuesday.
Johnson Controls-Saft manufactures the cells and cooling system for the lithium-ion battery used in the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series mild hybrids built by German luxury carmakers Daimler (DAIGn.DE) and BMW (BMWG.DE).
China now wants to leapfrog established western auto companies by skipping development of high-tech combustion engines and going straight to drivetrains powered partly or entirely with electricity.
"The Chinese government is going to subsidize the industry very significantly to bring clean vehicles to market, but these subsidies are going to be directed at the 100 percent Chinese companies like Shanghai Automotive, Beijing Automotive, Geely and Chery and not the western-Chinese joint ventures."
While lithium-ion batteries are used in a myriad of consumer electronics, the car industry is only just starting to employ them since the technology previously did not exist that were guaranteed to be safe enough not to cause a fire and durable enough to be used for 10 years without a marked loss of performance.
"Battery technologies improve slowly -- it's not like microprocessors where you double performance every two years. Between 1992 when the first (lithium ion batteries) were made and now the Japanese have increased the performance by around 120 percent," Searle said.
"We're in the early stages with the batteries we're making today for cars. We've still got decades of improvements to do. We will be able to double the performance in time I have no doubt -- with ongoing work on materials, composition, structure, and mechanicals," he explained.
Searle said studies suggest the lithium-ion car battery market could be worth $5 billion by 2015, or even twice that depending on how quick carmakers bring models to the market.
"As much as 20 pct of the cars built in the world in 2020 could be in some respect clean vehicles, either hybrids or plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles ... which would be about 20 million vehicles," he explained.
"When you get to a market that size, then the battery portion of that business could be many tens of billions of dollars a year."
Carmakers distinguish between mild hybrids on the one hand like the Mercedes S-Class 400h where electrical power provides an added boost, and full hybrids (HEV) on the other hand such as the Toyota Prius which under certain conditions can fully propel a vehicle without any help from the engine.
Plug-in hybrids have larger batteries and therefore predominantly run on electricity, while electric cars have no combustion engine whatsoever and so have a limited range that mainly makes them suitable for little more than a daily commute.
Only about 3 percent of those 20 million vehicles in 2020 might be pure EVs, he said -- less than ideal since this slice of the market would be the most profitable for his own company.
"We need to sell 10 HEV batteries to get the same revenue as for one EV. A plug-in hybrid will probably be the equivalent of three HEV batteries, or four depending on the range," he said.
If electric cars were to take off, Saft could easily respond to higher demand since the chemistry and manufacturing process behind the batteries is essentially the same.
Right now Johnson Controls-Saft has the ability to produce 20,000 lithium-ion car batteries a year in its French site and could churn out four times that amount if needed.
The joint venture is also building a new plant in Michigan, funded in part by a $300 million grant by the U.S. government, which will have five times the total technically installed manufacturing capacity of its French site.
Asahi Kasei Receives 2010 Green Technology Award
Tokyo (JCN) - Asahi Kasei has received the 2010 Green Technology Award, one of a series of "Green Awards" presented by China Business News.

Asahi Kasei was selected in recognition of its focus on many environment-friendly products and technologies, including technology to eliminate harmful substances from production processes for petrochemicals; environmental products which are made using different feedstocks as a substitute for petroleum and which do not emit harmful gases when burned; lithium-ion battery technology, together with material supply for its production; and a geothermal heating/cooling system.


BASF is building production facility for battery materials
2010-11-16 P-10-479
• Company launches construction activities in Elyria (Ohio), USA with support from US Department of Energy
• New plant to supply innovative cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries from mid 2012

In Elyria in the US State of Ohio, BASF has commenced construction of a $50+ million production facility for innovative cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries used to power hybrid and full-electric vehicles. The facility is being built with the help of a $24.6 million grant from the US Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“The production facility in Elyria will be our center for supplying the market with advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries,” emphasizes Frank Bozich, BASF Catalysts Division president. “These materials will be available on time for the production launch of the next generation of batteries. BASF sees this investment as an important step towards gaining a leading position in the production of components for lithium-ion batteries.”

In the USA, BASF is one of only two licensed suppliers of the Argonne National Laboratory's (ANL) patented lithium-stabilized Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese cathode materials, which employ a unique combination of lithium and manganese-rich mixed metal oxides. The license covers a broad range of uses of these materials in today's lithium-ion batteries. When fully operational in 2012, the BASF plant is expected to be the most advanced cathode materials production plant in North America.

The next, improved generation of lithium-ion batteries is planned to have a higher energy density, a longer lifetime and improved safety. BASF sees electromobility as a key technology of the future and will continue working on innovative materials and system solutions for electric vehicles at its research centers in Beachwood, Ohio and Ludwigs­hafen, Germany.


China BAK Battery To Supply Lithium Phosphate Energy Storage Solution To Sanke

RTTNews) - China BAK Battery Inc. (CBAK) said the company entered into a supply agreement to supply the company's lithium phosphate energy storage solution - Uninterruptible Power Supply or UPS to China Sanke Electrical Co. Ltd. Pursuant to the supply deal terms, China BAK would supply 10,000 units of UPS to Sanke by the end of this year.
Xiangqian Li, chief executive of China BAK said, "Our supply agreement with Sanke reflects the growing acceptance of our lithium phosphate energy storage solutions, which offer better reliability, flexibility and immediate delivery. The most common type of battery used in UPS is sealed lead-acid, however, our lithium batteries are small, lightweight and more friendly to the environment."


5 Reasons to Avoid GM’s IPO Like the Plague
GM's problems include unstable management, shrinking market share
it the Brakes When it Comes to GM
There’s a lot of revved-up excitement on Wall Street right now in front of GM’s new IPO. Strong investor demand for the salvaged U.S. automaker’s new offering has pushed GM’s initial public offering to $32 to $33 per share. It was announced today that GM plans to raise $12 billion, making the IPO the second largest in U.S. history.
Now, if you’re an investor looking to get in on the ground floor of GM’s comeback, then you’re probably excited about the prospect of a groundswell of demand for the bailed-out auto-giant’s shares. But my advice is to put the brakes on that excitement.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to auto stocks or IPOs. I bought and made money on electric car maker Tesla Motors’ (NASDAQ: TSLA) IPO earlier this year, and I’m also a big fan of Ford Motor (NYSE: F). Ford’s recent quarterly earnings surged 68%, a clear sign that the auto industry is making a comeback. Yet that still doesn’t make me bullish on GM’s IPO. I think the company faces too many roadblocks, and as such, investors should avoid the stock like the plague. Here are my top five reasons why.
#1 Unproven and Unstable Management
On Sept. 1, Ed Whitacre ceded his job as CEO to former GM director Daniel Akerson, a direct-talking and often abrasive former telecom executive without any automotive experience.
GM has been a revolving door at the top, with Akerson becoming the third CEO in the last two years.
# 2 Shrinking Market Share

GM is bleeding out when it comes to its share of the U.S. auto market. The troubled car maker’s market share slipped to a measly 18% in September, near its lowest point ever.
I suspect that unless this metric improves markedly, GM will have a tough time making significant headway going forward.
#3 No Lucrative Finance Unit
GM sold a majority stake in its very lucrative GMAC (General Motors Acceptance Corp.) finance unit in 2006 in a bid to raise cash. Now, GM is trying to correct this deficiency by purchasing finance firm AmeriCredit, a provider of subprime financing, for a whopping $3.5 billion.
This new purchase poses a bevy of big integration challenges going forward, especially for a behemoth like GM.
#4 Lots of Sellers
A big pool of sellers is champing at the bit to dump GM. The Obama administration has a lot at stake in this IPO. The government would love to sell its GM shares at a profit to show taxpayers that they made back their money on the unpopular bailout.
That means the Treasury Department has 912 million shares and in itchy trigger finger on the “sell” button. In addition, Canada and the UAW also are big potential sellers.
#5 Massive Employee-Benefit Liabilities
Unfortunately for GM, the company faces an astounding $26 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and $9 billion of retiree health-care costs. This is a huge fiscal overhang that will likely put a lot of downward pressure on the company’s bottom line, and its stock, going forward.
As if these five reasons weren’t enough for investors to avoid GM like the plague, consider that the stock is likely also overvalued. If GM shares open above $30, it means the company is being valued at more than $46 billion — roughly the same as what Ford is worth today. The two companies are far from equivalent fiscally, and in nearly every other sense. So, if you’re ready to get behind the wheel of GM’s IPO, I say think a second time. You’ll be much better off staying on the sidewalk.


LA Auto Show preview: Hydrogen-powered Mercedes-Benz F-Cell prepares for leasing
Mercedes-Benz will display its upcoming F-Cell fuel-cell vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week, as it prepares to lease about 100 examples in California this December. Lease price is estimated to be between $600 to $800 a month, though more specifics are expected to be announced at the event.
Based on the B-Class four-door hatchback, the latest F-Cell carries 3.7 kg of hydrogen in tanks pressurized to 10,150 psi. The gaseous energy powers a 136 hp electric motor and 35-kilowatt lithium-ion battery under the floor. The company claims a range of about 230 miles, and it describes fuel economy as equivalent to 54 miles per gallon.
The cost to fill the F-Cell up with hydrogen would be around $50 to $60 in Southern California--about the same as filling the tank of a large SUV. Hydrogen fuel, however, will be included in the lease price of the F-Cell, along with free maintenance and insurance.
At the other end of the spectrum, Mercedes will also show a 550-horsepower 2012 CLS63 AMG. Also of note, there will be an updated CL coupe and R-Class wagon.
Mercedes-Benz will display its upcoming F-Cell fuel-cell vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week, as it prepares to lease about 100 examples in California this December. Lease price is estimated to be between $600 to $800 a month, though more specifics are expected to be announced at the event.
Based on the B-Class four-door hatchback, the latest F-Cell carries 3.7 kg of hydrogen in tanks pressurized to 10,150 psi. The gaseous energy powers a 136 hp electric motor and 35-kilowatt lithium-ion battery under the floor. The company claims a range of about 230 miles, and it describes fuel economy as equivalent to 54 miles per gallon.
The cost to fill the F-Cell up with hydrogen would be around $50 to $60 in Southern California--about the same as filling the tank of a large SUV. Hydrogen fuel, however, will be included in the lease price of the F-Cell, along with free maintenance and insurance.
At the other end of the spectrum, Mercedes will also show a 550-horsepower 2012 CLS63 AMG. Also of note, there will be an updated CL coupe and R-Class wagon.