Sinfonia To Market Hybrid Power Plants In Emerging Countries
TOKYO (Nikkei)--Sinfonia Technology Co. (6507) will start marketing its hybrid power generation systems in South America and
The systems can be a combination of solar cell panels, small wind turbines, hydroelectric generators and storage batteries. Their output capacities range from 10-20kw, with prices set at 50-100 million yen, including installation expenses.
Test operation of one such system was started last fall at Sinfonia's
Although the systems will be sold in
Sales activities will first begin in
Within two years,
Through these and other measures, the company aims to boost the price-performance ratio of its products by more than 10-fold to better compete in the automotive market with South Korean battery makers LG Chem Ltd. and Samsung SDI Co.
A number of
The group will invest a total of 5 billion yen to develop lithium ion battery technologies, starting from scratch by reviewing electrode material compositions and shapes, as well as battery cell structure and manufacturing steps.
In addition to automotive applications, the company will also cultivate the battery markets for smart grids, uninterruptible power supplies and construction machinery.
Scrapped EV Deal Wipes Out Zerosports
The Gifu Prefecture-based firm has total liabilities of about 1.1 billion yen, President Tokuji Nakashima said at a news conference. About 70 employees were dismissed that day, leaving just a few to handle the bankruptcy proceedings.
The canceled deal with Japan Post put Zerosports in a financial bind.
Last August, Zerosports signed a contract with Japan Post Service Co. to deliver 1,030 EVs for mail collection and delivery for roughly 3.5 billion yen. But the Japan Post Holdings Co. unit canceled the deal in January, citing possible delivery delays, according to Nakashima.
Under the deal, a total of 30 EVs were to be delivered in January and February of this year, with the remaining 1,000 units to be supplied by February 2012.
According to Nakashima, production was affected because Zerosports had complied with a request from Japan Post Service to change the specifications of the vehicles. Having borrowed heavily from financial institutions to cover development expenses, Zerosports faced financing difficulties after the deal was canceled, he said.
A spokesperson for Japan Post Service acknowledged that the deal has been canceled but declined to speak about the details. The firm still intends to deploy EVs, according to the official.
Established in 1994, Zerosports grew by developing and selling custom parts for gasoline-powered cars. It began developing EVs in 1998, first designing small carts for use in such facilities as factories and then moving to street-legal models by riding the EV boom. It logged sales of 553 million yen and a net loss of 359 million yen for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31.
Start-Up Preps Electric Car for
By JASON DEAN
Associated Press
Coda presented its plug-in car at a
BEIJING—Coda Holdings expects to start selling its first all-electric car in the U.S. in the second half, as the California start-up uses Chinese manufacturing and battery technology to make inroads in the challenging U.S. electric-vehicle market.
Chief Executive Philip Murtaugh, who joined Coda in January, said the company's Coda Automotive Inc. unit expects to sell 10,000 to 14,000 Coda sedans in the 12 months after the model is introduced in
Coda, with its headquarters in
In addition to the technical challenges of commercializing a complicated new technology, Coda faces competition from much larger rivals, including General Motors Co. and Nissan Motor Co.
Another electric-vehicle start-up, Tesla Motors Inc., is targeting the niche, luxury market. But Coda's sedan is aimed at the middle of the market, with a suggested retail price of $44,900, although the company said the consumer's cost could be reduced by taking advantage of about $12,500 in federal and state subsidies.
Mr. Murtaugh spent more than 30 years at GM, ran its
Coda has had to delay the introduction of the sedan several times. Mr. Murtaugh said that among the first things he did after joining the company was to establish a solid schedule with the company's engineers. He said he's "very confident" that sales can start before year-end. Coda expects to start pilot production of the sedan in the second quarter, and begin regular production in the third.
Coda hopes successful sales of the sedan will prove the value of the propulsion system, which combines the battery and battery-management technology, it has developed with Tianjin Lishen. Coda aims to sell the propulsion system to other car makers and, eventually, for other kinds of energy-storage products.
Coda's initial sales will be in
He said he is pushing Coda to take an interest in the Chinese market. "Before I got here, there wasn't a whole lot of attention paid to
New Zero Electric Motorcycle Has Portable
Zero Motorcycles
Zero calls its new XU and “urban crosser” that combines off-road durability with light weight and maneuverability for riding on city streets.
Do you remember the Benzi Box car radio you could pull out of the dashboard and take with you so? That primitive, very-1980s anti-theft design has been recycled as a way to boost efficiency and convenience on the XU, a new electric motorcycle from electric-bike maker Zero Motorcycles.
The XU is the company’s
The removable battery also allows nearly nonstop use through swapping multiple power-packs. Like other Zero bikes, the XU can be bought with an optional quick charger that cuts recharging time to about an hour — a 50% time reduction. The quick charger can also be used to charge the power pack separately from the motorcycle. The company’s X and MX models, which are for off-road use only, have similar quick-change power packs that can be used interchangeably with the new
As certain cities become more crowded car makers are increasingly focusing on urban mobility, which means building smaller vehicle better suited to dense traffic and limited parking. Zero is betting that many city dwellers will make the leap to two-wheel transport in part because motorcycles take up less space. The absence of volatile flammable fuel also means the Zero bike could potentially be parked in one’s living space.
The Zero XU starts at $7,995. The company plans to begin shipping the bikes in the
A123 Systems: Promise and Disappointment
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/03/01/a123-systems-promise-and-disappointment.aspx
Travis Hoium
March 1, 2011
For A123 Systems (Nasdaq: AONE), the promise of a booming market with eager customers has left investors disappointed yet again. Wait, haven't we heard this story before?
When the company reported earnings yesterday, we saw little real progress toward financial viability. Indeed, A123 may be taking steps backward. Management wants everyone to focus on recent signings with auto, grid, and commercial partners. Instead, here are three things that worried me about the company's results.
Capacity doubled from a year ago, and the company expects 760 MW-hrs of capacity by 2012. Unfortunately, revenue was down 2.1% to $24 million year over year, meaning that extra capacity is going unused. More capacity is great if revenue is streaming in, but with just 62.9 MW-hrs in shipments during 2010, A123 must be counting on a lot of growth to pick up the slack.
Management expects that its EBITDA loss will be higher in 2011 than the $120.6 million it lost in 2010. For a comparison, last time we heard from competitor Ener1 (Nasdaq: HEV), it expected to break even on EBITDA by 2011.
The capacity buildout has been more expensive than anticipated, leading to concerns on the balance sheet. Cash and equivalents have fallen to $216.8 million at the end of 2010, from $457.1 million. The expected EBITDA loss in 2011 will put more pressure on the company, and if pieces don't fall just right, shareholders may have to absorb another dilution of shares.
On the plus side, a major customer just rolled in; Fisker is expected to begin production in the second quarter. A123 Systems expects an inflection point in revenue coinciding with this production ramp. We'll see whether that prediction turns out to be true.
Falling behind the competition
Steady advances by battery-making competitors hinders A123's prospects. Valence Technology (Nasdaq: VLNC) is making major progress in the commercial vehicle market, booking triple-digit revenue growth last quarter as customers picked up purchases. Advanced Battery Technologies (Nasdaq: ABAT) is making a variety of products in
We've been hearing about the rosy prospects of the battery market for years, without seeing much progress. I like its potential, but I'll have to take a "wait and see" approach to shares at this point.
Getting our Groove Back in Manufacturing Innovation: Nanomaterials, Green Nanonotechnology and Policy Uncertainty
Recent news stories (e.g. "US Manufacturing Posts Strong Gains", WSJ 3/1/2011) report that manufacturing employment and output are rising rapidly in the
Intel CEO Paul Otellini has said "it costs $1 billion more per factory for me to build, equip, and operate a semiconductor manufacturing facility in the
Capital markets (and with them our leadership in IPOs) are fleeing the
Post-November 2010, Washington DC swears it recognizes how vitally important entrepreneurs and innovation are, and that regulations will be reviewed for costs vs. benefits (if you believe for even a femtosecond that anything useful will come of that, call me about investing in my new flubber company). And of course, the crowd-pleasing soundbite "staple a green card to science and engineering advanced degrees" continues to be heard from politicians of both major flavors. Anyone currently attempting to keep a key PhD employee here (rather than be sent back to
If all that and the spectacle of politicians doing everything, anything, except address the impending public insolvencies hasn't made you suicidal, then I guess you're like the optimist in me that says 'policy uncertainty' in the face of what often seems like firm determination on the part of the U.S. government to undermine its own economy.
So despite the Einsteinian insanity of arguing yet again for sensible innovation policy, let's connect all of this with why nanotechnology (other than via Moore's Law, a battery, three protein/liposome/polymer cancer drugs, and some low-impact consumer applications) has not yet lived up to its hype, at least as measured by venture capital investment, successful investor exits (A123 and ???) and high-wage job creation in the U.S. (A123 and ???).
The A123 case fits a general science-based innovation paradigm (Fig. 1) that is important to understand. University materials research of a path-breaking nature is more easily transferred to startup/spinout companies, which are willing to take a risk (new technology * new application) on initial opportunities that are too small to interest large companies. Large companies come in later (and may pay well) when an opportunity is substantially de-risked and poised to grow rapidly, and they are indispensable for manufacturing scale-up and global market intelligence and distribution. The small company entrepreneur is willing to fail in order to win big, but the large company division manager is less willing to bet his career on something that could go wrong in many ways, including regulatory blockage.
Except for the biggest and lowest risk opportunities (e.g. better drop-in replacement batteries with one new component, blockbuster drugs) the process can't even get going when small companies have to pay big company prices for regulatory compliance to access a small initial opportunity (consistent with limited ability to ramp production), and both investors and customers find the cost, risk and uncertainty hurdles too high to overcome. This is compounded by the worsening
But nanotechnology and nanomaterials, along with the production techniques to deliver them, are still new compared to the chemical industry, and there is still hope that badly needed societal innovation might occur in support of enabling their economic and social benefits. One thing that is clearly required is a far more enabling regime for startups and low-volume first applications. One possible scenario for this is a fast-track, light-regulatory-touch path for green nanotechnology: nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing developments conducted according to the principles of green chemistry. Another way to say this is safe-by-design (to the extent possible, based on what we know) products produced by green-by-design manufacturing processes.
Progress has been made on this vision, and we're ready to discuss concrete criteria for what constitutes green nanotechnology, standard/simplified characterization protocols and enabling policies. And that's exactly what we intend to do at GN11, Greener Nano 2011, May 2-3 at Hewlett-Packard's
There is no time to lose, because other countries (especially in
How National Security Depends on Better Lithium Batteries
ARPA-e funds potential breakthrough work to make energy-dense batteries that enable long distance travel
"Lithium is explosive in water," Arun Majumdar, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, or ARPA–e, which is funding PolyPlus's development effort, noted at the agency's second annual conference March 1. By ensconcing the lithium inside the membrane's seal, the PolyPlus battery reacts safely with the oxygen dissolved in the water and delivers as much as 1,300 watt-hours per kilogram of electricity. "This is like a fish, but it's a battery."
PolyPlus is just one of several better battery-makers that ARPA–e is funding, all attempting to improve upon a standard lithium ion battery's roughly 400 watt-hours per kilogram—the reason why all-electric cars don't have the long distance range of a traditional automobile. The program—dubbed BEEST, for Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation—has funded 10 projects in all, ranging from rechargeable batteries composed entirely of solid materials to high-energy density capacitors. "Just like Intel Inside, I hope you have BEEST inside your electric cars in the future," Majumdar said.
Reinventing the battery is the only way available today to both reduce consumption of oil and bring manufacturing jobs back to the
Even in the absence of better batteries, GM and other car companies are putting electric vehicles on the streets in 2011—including both a Chevy Volt and a plug-in Toyota Prius on the conference floor here in Maryland. Best Buy's Geek Squad is preparing to roll out a program to help customers install home charging stations, Best Buy's Chad Bell told conference attendees. And companies such as Fed Ex are purchasing fleets of electric delivery vans. "The nation's dependence on imported petroleum cannot be sustained over the long term," said Fed Ex Founder and CEO Fred Smith in a video address to the ARPA–e conference. "The federal government has to fund basic research on new technologies that have significant effects on the country's competitiveness."
PolyPlus's battery may be just that: dip the encapsulated lithium pack into a glass of ordinary water and it produces current that lights up an LED display at the company's conference showcase booth. And many companies are working on improving today's lithium ion batteries, which will still be around for a long time as price continues to drop, argued Yet-Ming Chiang, chief scientist at battery maker 24M and formerly of A123. "There is a lot of head room in lithium ion battery technology," he said.
Ultimately, better batteries—or finding a way to keep lithium from combusting in air, like PolyPlus and the Missouri University of Science and Technology are trying to do—can result in reducing the demand for imported oil that sends $1 billion per day abroad, largely to Canada, Middle Eastern countries and Venezuela. "Our national security is very dependent on energy security,"
Cobasys Awarded USABC Contract for Advanced
Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
SOURCE SB LiMotive
-
- Project allows Cobasys, a subsidiary of SB LiMotive, to further align battery development to North American automaker needs
- USABC award co-funded by
ORION,
USABC is a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), the collaborative automotive technology organization of Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Company, whose mission is to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative research and development.
The competitively bid contract Cobasys award from USABC is co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and includes a 50 percent cost-share.
"We are proud to be participating in this forward-thinking collaboration to develop advanced technologies for the
Cobasys has been contracted for the design, development, delivery and validation of conforming design-intent cells, and through the design, development, delivery and verification of a 40 kWh technology demonstration battery pack.
The focus of the project is to produce high-energy density cells and packs for electric vehicle applications to increase the current state-of-the-art battery-pack density by 50 percent in a three-year period.
"The work we are doing with USABC allows us to align our development with the requirements of North American automakers in the pre-competitive development stage to ensure we deliver the highest quality and safety in battery technology," said Peper.
"Our work on electric vehicle projects demonstrates our ability to align our developments with our customer's expectations, and thus deliver innovative, cost effective products," he added.
About Cobasys and SB LiMotive
Cobasys, with two sites in Orion,
SB LiMotive bundles the know-how of both its parent companies. Samsung SDI brings its extensive large-scale production experience into the partnership as well as manufacturing competence in the area of lithium-ion cell production. Additionally Samsung is an innovation and development leader in lithium-ion technology for use in a wide range of applications, including laptops, cell phones and power tools. Bosch contributes its comprehensive automotive systems competence which is being applied to integrating the lithium-ion technology into the vehicle. Bosch has extensive experience in hybrid and electric drive technology as well as power electronics, electric motors, transmissions and DC/DC converters.
Today, SB LiMotive has its global foothold in all three major economic regions of the world: Asia, Europe and the
EnerSys Acquires Lithium
Power Channels: Batteries and Portable Power
EnerSys announced that it has purchased the lithium-ion battery business, ABSL Power Solutions Ltd. (ABSL) from CIP Industries L.P. Inc.
ABSL has been supplying lithium-ion cells and batteries for defense and aerospace applications in Europe and the
"This acquisition is another step in our strategy to diversify our technology base and strengthen our prior investments in lithium systems to meet the needs of our customers," said John D. Craig, chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of EnerSys. "EnerSys continues to seek opportunities that offer profitable growth in our chosen markets. We believe that lithium batteries will be a significant growth engine for EnerSys in the coming years, complementing the growth of our existing business in lead and nickel based batteries."
Sanjay Deshpande, Senior Vice President for EnerSys Advanced Systems, who will manage the acquired business, added "EnerSys greatly values the experience and talent within ABSL. We will leverage these along with our existing lithium expertise to accelerate our development of advanced and effective lithium solutions for our customers."
Panasonic Announces E-Bike Specifically Designed For High-School Students
While e-bikes are struggling on their way to enter the mainstream in other places of the world, makers in
To be sure to meet the needs of the target group, Panasonic asked
The BE-ENSK63 is sized at 1,800×540mm, weighs 24.1kg and is powered by a 25.2V-3.1Ah lithium-ion battery that lets owners travel 11/12/17km in power/automatic/eco mode.
Panasonic plans to start selling the bike in
The Nissan Esflow Concept debuts at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show
The big news from the Nissan camp as the 2011
Nissan teased the industry when they began discussing the new Esflow Concept around the time of the 2011 Chicago Auto Show (click here for the original announcement of the Esflow) but as the Geneva Motor Show opens, the Nissan Esflow is formally introduced to the world with the cutting edge technology of the Nissan Leaf in an exterior package that leaves no doubt to the car’s sporty nature.
The key difference from the drivetrain of the Nissan Leaf to the new Esflow Concept is the addition of an extra electric motor in the new sporty concept. The Esflow uses the same lithium ion battery system as the Leaf but it uses two separate electric motors, each located in a mid-engine position and responsible for driving just one of the rear wheels. This way, each engine’s power to the wheel that it drives can be regulated to make the most of the available power to improve traction and stability. Nissan claims that the electric drive system in the Esflow can allow the sleek supercar to travel 150 miles on a single charge along with dashing from 0-62 in under 5 seconds.
Like any good electric vehicle, the Nissan Esflow Concept is comprised of an ultra-light chassis to help yield the most mileage from the available battery charge and the automaker points out that unlike many “green” sports cars that begin as vehicles powered by internal combustion engines that are then modified for the electric drivetrain but instead, designers put this car together to work perfectly with the design of the electric propulsion system. The skin of the Esflow is wrapped around an all-aluminum chassis that provides a great deal of rigidity for both safety and improved handling while also providing a roll cage type structure around the passenger area. Nissan has added a wraparound windshield to provide improved visibility for the driver and while it makes for a great looking concept car, the exterior design doesn’t look like something that could see production in the near future.
While the appearance of the Nissan Esflow – from the futuristic looking lights to the wraparound windshield to the ultra-aggressive overall physical design – might not be something that we see on Nissan dealership showrooms any time soon, this Concept proves that a dedicated, electric sports car is possible with the use of current (production ready) electric drivetrain technology without compromising true sports car abilities. The Nissan Esflow offers 100% emission-free driving in a car with real sports car handling and styling, all designed to work specifically with the dual-drive electric engine setup for optimum handling and acceleration.
Fisker ready for March production
By Jorn Madslien Business reporter, BBC News,
The Karma is the first electric luxury car with a petrol-powered range extender
Three years after it was conceived, Fisker Automotive's first car will go into production later this month.
The Fisker Karma, on display at this year's
The Californian company initially hopes to sell 15,000 cars per year, chief executive Henrik Fisker told BBC News.
But over time, "we want to become a proper high-volume carmaker", he said.
"We'll eventually achieve sales in the hundreds of thousands," said Mr Fisker, who is a former Aston Martin and BMW designer.
'Responsible luxury'
Fisker Automotive will be the second company in the world to launch an electric car with a range extender, just a few months after General Motors' Chevrolet Volt went on sale.
Mr Fisker said he believes this puts his small Californian company well ahead of most of the competition.
"Everybody says they're going to do one, but talk is easy," he said.
The Karma is a much more luxurious car than the Volt, however, which the company hopes will make it a rival to high-end models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche.
Henrik Fisker used to design cars for Aston Martin and BMW
"The whole idea behind the car was no sacrifice for the consumer in terms of styling, power or price," he said.
"We call this responsible luxury," Mr Fisker said, revealing that the Karma will be priced "close to the Porsche Panamera petrol-electric hybrid", which was also launched at the
The Karma starts at about 85,000 euros ($117,000; £72,000) with some models costing more, he said.
Hence, selling 15,000 cars could bring in close to $1.5bn in revenues, he reasoned.
As the company continues to expand the Fisker model range, it will also start making a medium-sized plug-in petrol-electric hybrid, dubbed Nina.
'Power, beauty and freedom'
According to Mr Fisker, there is a big difference between pure electric cars and those with range extenders fitted.
Range-extender cars have batteries too, as well as petrol-powered engines that drive a generator, which in turn sends power to the car's electric motor.
This overcomes the so-called "range anxiety" suffered by some electric car drivers, Mr Fisker said.
The Fisker Karma seats four adults comfortably
The Karma's lithium-ion battery is said to deliver a 50-mile range on a full charge. The range extender adds a further 250 miles.
The car's performance is said to be impressive; a 400bhp powertrain delivers nought to 60mph in less than six seconds and a top speed of 125mph.
"Cars are about three things: power, beauty and freedom," said Mr Fisker.
"You may be able to get power and beauty in an electric car," he said in an obvious dig at rival electric car company Tesla.
"But in a range-extender car, the knowledge that you can leave the city is freedom."
For this reason, Mr Fisker insisted, electric cars "will stay a niche for a long time", whereas models kitted out with range extenders could become mainstream.
Financing expansion
Fisker may not be the carmaker to make this happen, however.
It is supported by the
In addition, venture capitalists have injected a similar amount, Mr Fisker said.
Even so, it may not be enough to achieve the sort of growth figures that the Danish entrepreneur is hoping for.
To achieve that, Fisker may well need to partner with a large automobile company.
Evida's Israeli battery will power European electric cars
Evida's lithium-iron-phosphate battery packs can be recharged from an ordinary 220 volt outlet.
2 March 11 , Yuval Azulai
Evida Power Inc., a US company that operates from Israel to develop lithium-iron-phosphate battery packs for electric vehicles, has signed a $250 million contract with French-German electric vehicle manufacturer Mia Electric to provide 50,000 8-kw/h battery packs for three new vehicle models through 2016. Deliveries of Mia's town cars will begin in June.
Evida CEO Asher Bennett told "Globes" that the contract was signed after several months of negotiations. The company disclosed the deal at the Geneva International Motor Show, where Mia Electric unveiled its electric cars.
Evida has developed a lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack at its Jerusalem R&D center. The battery packs will be manufactured in
Evida's battery packs will give Mia Electric's town car and utility vehicle a range of 80-90 kilometers. The battery packs can be fully recharged in less than three hours when connected to a standard 220V power supply.
Evida has 20 employees in
"In this industry, it takes a long time until a deal is ready for signing," says Bennett. "As a young company, just two years old, this is a handsome achievement, which can be explained by the fact that there are few companies in the world capable of offering the solutions that we develop and market."
Bennett added, "We identified the global rise of the electric car expected in the coming years and we focused our efforts on an attempt to offer good mobility for vehicles, without an extensive deployment of organized recharging infrastructures and at a very high battery price. We're trying to provide a cheaper, more usable battery."
"Development and production of the battery, which is usually the expensive part that constitutes the core of the car, was the easy part of the story," says Bennett.
"The hard work came later, when we adapted the battery to the car and had to fully integrate the battery and all the car's systems, and verify that they responded properly and precisely, even as we were constantly exposed to close inspection by Mia Electric. Some of the inspection was at the company's factory in
Private investors have invested $2 million in Evida. Half the money came from one of
Bennett, 42, is a veteran of an elite unit of the Israel Navy. He believes that the Mia contract will help Evida win a top place in the global electric car map. "I strongly believe in the future of the electric car, and it will be a smart means of transportation, far beyond its contribution to the environment. This entire industry is bubbling and on the rise, and there is still a lot to do in the field.
"Today's challenges are huge, such as developing batteries for trucks for carrying cargoes inside cities. All in all, there is little knowledge in this field in the world, and I am pleased that we were able to reach a key place in this industry after just two years of operations."
Bennett is optimistic, and believes that the Mia Electric contract is only the beginning. "This is our first contract on this scale, but in the coming year, we will have several more similar deals. I cannot elaborate at this time. What is clear is that we've grown to become one of the large companies in the industry, and if until now we were considered a very small company in terms of business, it will be hard to call us small from now on."
Better Place, which is due to deploy its electric car in
EU research consortium launches SOMABAT project to develop novel solid materials for high power density Li-ion batteries for EVs
Thirteen partners in a European research consortium have launched the SOMABAT (SOlid MAterials for high power Li polymer BATteries) project to develop more environmental friendly, safer and better performing high power density Li polymer batteries. SOMABAT will develop novel recyclable solid materials to be used as anode, cathode and solid polymer electrolyte; new alternatives to recycle the different components of the battery; and cycle life analysis.
SOMABAT will exploit the use of alternative synthesis and processing methods to develop tailored nanostructured solid materials for their use as lithium polymer battery components. SOMABAT is targeting a battery with an energy density up to 220 Wh/kg and a final cost less than 150 €/kWh (US$208/kWh).
Total project cost is €5.04 million (US$7 million); the European Commission, via FP7 is contributing €3.7 million (US$5.1 million). The project team is led by Instituto Tecnológico de la Energía in
CIN2 (CSIC-ICN) and Umicore will research novel nanostructured cathode materials based on lithium iron and manganese phosphate will be researched by CIN2 (CSIC-ICN) and UMICORE. The advantage of this new material is that it offers maximum energy storage in minimum space, safety and it is environmentally friendly.
Université de Liège, Kiev National University of Technologies Design, and ITE will develop anode materials based on synthetic carbon, and other obtained from agricultural wastes. With these materials the energy density will be improved in about 30% respect to carbon based conventional anodes.
Both electrodes will be much less costly and a lot more reliable than traditional alternatives. Therefore, it will meet the essential requirements for the mass industrial development of electric vehicles.
ITE and Institute of Chemistry Timisoara of Romanian Academy will develop new porous polymeric materials and series of polyphosphonates which will reduce safety problems such as leakage, short circuits, overcharge, over-discharge, crush and exposure to fire as all the components of the battery will be solids.
Other strategies which will be followed to reach the targets are centered on the improvement of materials integration, modeling procedures, and optimizing the management system of the battery. These tasks will be performed by Cegasa International,
Recupyl and Accurec will focus on recyclability alternatives for the used components, achieving a more environmentally-friendly battery in which at least 50% by average weight will be recyclable. A Life Cycle Assessment will be included in the development of the new battery.
Did Obama Meet the Wrong Big Wave Surfers?
Kenneth J. Thurber, Ph.D.
March 2, 2011
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., March 2, 2011 — /PRNewswire/ -- It was reported that during his recent trip to the West Coast, President Obama had dinner with a dozen Silicon Valley executives. The appearance of the technological and financial captains of industry such as John Doer (Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers), Carol Bartz (Yahoo), Larry Ellison (Oracle) and John Chambers (Cisco) set the press wires buzzing. While these people would all be considered at the top of the tech industry heap, perhaps the President was meeting with people whose technology and the waves they created have already passed instead of meeting with people who are creating and forming the new waves that will rock the tech world.
Ken Thurber, author of Big Wave Surfing: Extreme Technology Development, Management, Marketing and Investing, sees these companies as mature - "some like Apple (Steve Jobs was reportedly seen at that dinner meeting) will surely impact the American economy as it moves forward, but the real action is forming out at sea with new surfers and technologies such as nanotechnology, wind-powered cars, extremely fast Exascale Computers and powerful new lasers being developed by the military. The future lies with serial big wave entrepreneur surfers like Elon Musk, who founded PayPal, SpaceX and runs Tesla motors, which looks to revolutionize the electric car industry, if they don't run out of cash first."
Thurber sees companies such as Oracle and Yahoo as the old world order and the new surfers like Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, PayPal), Tim Westergren (Pandora) or Jack Dorsey (Square & Twitter) as the coming Big Wave Surfers.
Thurber goes on to say," As these new Surfers and others like them go, so goes the future of the American economy. Like any surfers there will be wipeouts and winners and losers, but without embracing them and what they represent in the innovation economy,
About the Author: Kenneth J. Thurber, Ph.D., is a renowned computer architect and has developed technology and systems worth billions of dollars. He developed the concept of "technology big wave surfing" to empower readers to understand and harness the opportunity of an ever-changing technological world.
P.S. Readers are sure to enjoy exploring the present and future possibilities described in Dr. Thurber's Big Wave Surfing!
A Two-Sided Coin For
On Wednesday February 23, 2011, 12:31 pm EST
Topics covered: The Rise of the Energy Efficiency Market - LED Adoption in Large-Scale Projects - Long-Term Opportunities in Emerging Markets - Solar Growth Drivers and Headwinds
Companies include: Solar Power (SOPW.OB); A123 (AONE); AGL Resources (AGL); AMD (AMD); Active Power (ACPW); Aixtron (AIXG); and many more.
In the following brief excerpt from the Alternative Energy Report, expert analysts discuss the outlook for the sector and for investors.
Dan Galves is a member of Deutsche Bank's Global Auto/Auto Parts equity research team. He is the Lead Analyst on vehicle electrification, and an Associate Analyst on DB's
TWST: Ener1 recently signed a JV agreement with Wanxiang Electric Vehicle. What value does that create for Ener1, and what kind of sign is it for the sector as a whole?
Mr. Galves: I think it's extremely important for the company because it gives Ener1 the potential for a whole new range of automaker customers. It really opens up Chinese automakers to Ener1 because this Wanxiang is one of the biggest auto suppliers in
So I think it's a huge validation for Ener1 and opens up a lot of revenue opportunities. I guess the last thing is, a big issue for these smaller lithium-ion companies is their ability to get enough volume to lower their costs. This opens up the potential for a lot more battery volume than we originally thought for Ener1, and that's going to help because they can essentially buy the input materials for these batteries in bigger scale and get lower costs. So I think it's very positive for several different reasons. In terms of the sector, I think it's a sign that the Chinese battery makers are still behind technology-wise.
There has been some concern that there are a lot of Chinese companies that are developing lithium-ion batteries and a lot of companies have already produced them for the consumer market. Our belief and what we hear from our contacts in the industry is that the quality is really not there for automotive applications. It's a lot different to have a laptop battery that fails, that can be replaced for 20 bucks, compared with having a vehicle battery that fails that's $5,000 to $10,000 to $15,000.
TWST: What is your top-rated stock today and why?
Mr. Galves: We have "buy" ratings on Ener1 and A123. Like I said before, we also think Tesla is going to be a winner in this space. I think we are most positive on A123 currently. The stock currently trades at only about 1.5 times book value. That implies very little expectations for a stock with this much potential growth. Yet when we talk to automakers and other battery competitors, they all consider A123 a top five player in the industry for the long term. We think that they have a very strong long-term potential, and we see some near-term catalysts. One of their key customers is Fisker Automotive, another startup automaker.
I think that there is a lot of skepticism about whether Fisker actually will launch their vehicle on time, but we are very confident that they will get the vehicle out on time in March or April of 2011. So I think the launch of that vehicle could be a positive catalyst for A123. Their revenue ramp looks very strong this year, going from $100 million in 2010 to well north of $200 million in 2011, and then we are looking for $600 million plus in 2012 - so a very significant revenue ramp that's going to start to become visible soon. We think as volume starts to move through the plant, the margins are going to improve significantly. Lastly, I would say that they have been talking about a major OEM contract that they feel very confident that they will win, and so we think that there is a good chance that you will see a positive announcement of a new customer coming up soon.
New Model Based On Mitsubishi e-compact Electric Concept Confirmed For
Mitsubishi is currently working on a new global small car positioned below its Colt http://www.toyotamonitor.com/category/hatchback,newhatchback and scheduled to enter production at a newly erected plant in Thailand in March of 2012. We first heard about the project late last year but at this week’s 2011 Geneva Motor Show the Japanese automaker rolled out a concept previewing its upcoming model and confirmed its eventual sale in the
The new concept has been labeled the Mitsubishi e-compact and it comes packing an advanced electric drivetrain. From the onset of development, Mitsubishi has intended its new small car to be offered with an electric drive system and thus its platform has been engineered that way.
This is contrary to most other electric cars currently on the market, such as the Tesla Roadster, Ford Focus Electric and even Mitsubishi’s own i minicar, all of which are based on vehicles designed originally for internal combustion engines only.
In addition to electric drive option, however, the new Mitsubishi small car will also offer three-cylinder MIVEC gasoline engines displacing 1.0 and 1.2-liters. In order to maximize fuel economy, they will be matched with engine stop-start technology and brake energy recovery systems. Low rolling resistance tires, lightweight construction and aerodynamic aids will also help lower overall fuel consumption.
The dimensions are 12.3 feet in length, 5.5 feet in width and 4.9 feet in height, putting it in the B-segment of vehicle categories along with models like the Ford Fiesta and MINI Cooper. Despite its small stature, Mitsubishi claims that it will still be able to seat up to five adults.
With cars like the Smart ForTwo, MINI Cooper and upcoming Scion iQ either on sale here or on their way, we wouldn’t be surprised if Mitsubishi finds success here in the
PolyPlus: Water Batteries Could Be Comin’ Soon
Katie Fehrenbacher
March 01, 2011
http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/polyplus1.jpgBatteries made of lithium and seawater (or just plain tap water for that matter) could be on their way to a marine market near you. That’s courtesy of a technology made by a 11-year-old company called PolyPlus and various partnerships, which hails out of Lawrence Berkeley Labs and has a grant from the Department of Energy’s high risk, early-stage ARPA-E program. At the annual ARPA-E Summit this week, PolyPlus was highlighted as a potential game-changer by ARPA-E Director Arun Majumdar, and I got a chance to sit down with PolyPlus CTO Steven Visco on Monday.
The chemistry almost sounds like that of science fiction, but Visco told me in an interview that he thinks the company’s water battery could get to market in two years time, and says the company is just starting the process of producing a water battery pilot production line now. The water battery isn’t even the end goal for PolyPlus; the company is developing a non-rechargeable lithium-air and a rechargeable lithium-air battery, which is the most difficult of the three to manufacture and for which it received the ARPA-E grant.
Here’s how the water battery works: An encapsulant encloses the lithium, completely separating it from the water, but still enabling a charge. That’s crucial because lithium and water react rather shockingly (Visco showed me videos of lithium essentially dissolving in water).
http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/polyplus4.jpgVisco says it was a Eureka moment when he realized the battery worked, using a membrane from a third party in Japan and the company’s own three-layer system, and was stable in 2003. “Cycling lithium and water was absolutely unheard of,” and after that, the company went “dead silent,” says Visco, and turned to filing patent after patent.
A water battery can achieve awe-inspiring energy densities (the amount of energy that can be stored in a battery of a given size) of 1,300 wh/kg (for small batches), and potentially 1,500 wh/kg at larger scale production. For comparison, standard lithium-ion batteries have closer to 200 wh/kg to 400 wh/kg. That means a water battery can last a very long time. Picture a battery used for a device on the outside of a ship, or an underwater unmanned vessel that needs power (hello, DOD), that can just keep going and going.
The water battery also doesn’t have to carry the positive electrode, or the water, inside it. PolyPlus’ water battery has an open system where the water of the surroundings connects with the lithium. That means the battery could be more simple and lower cost to produce.
All in all, Visco thinks the marine battery market could be half a billion dollars. That could be overambitious, as many of the applications we discussed are early-stage themselves. But a battery expert source I talked to about PolyPlus’ water battery thought the device was well on its way and could be a big hit for the company.
The rechargeable lithium-air battery, for which it received the ARPA-E grant, could be considerable harder. Though the dream is even bigger: a battery that one day could make electric vehicles with ranges from 300 to 500 miles. If PolyPlus gets there, it will be at least five years away, and perhaps two decades before car markers start using these types of batteries for EVs. It took an innovative car company like Tesla (TSLA) that long to put standardized lithium-ion batteries into EVs.
Still, you have to wonder why PolyPlus hasn’t moved into manufacturing before this. Visco told me the company doesn’t want to be just a licensing company, but wants to be manufacturer and is in the process of raising funds from VCs and strategic investors right now. When the funding round are closed, hopefully, the water battery will be on its way.
New Toyota EV Prototype Breaks Cover, Based on iQ
Generally speaking, the most efficient cars also happen to be among the smallest. After all, why haul around all that extra weight and size when you don’t need to? And that seems to be the thinking behind the newest Toyota EV Prototype, which is based on the iQ subcompact.
The fully electric vehicle is making its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show and, well, it’s not exactly the most exciting thing to look at; it’s just a super compact hatchback. The electric motor is good for about 64hp and the 270V lithium-ion battery provides about 65 miles of range on a full charge, achieving a max speed of 78mph.
Looking for a speed demon? Maybe you should look at a Tesla instead, because this city dweller takes a full fourteen seconds to rev itself up to 62mph. The good news is that you can get an 80% quick charge in fifteen minutes (full charge takes four hours).
Electric cars may not be the future, but they could be a suitable intermediary until we figure out what to do moving forward. Trials with the Toyota EV commence later this year.
