Tesla and Panasonic Collaborate to Develop Next-Generation Battery Cell Technology

Tesla to use Panasonic’s Ni based Li ion cell in their newest EV battery packs

-Tesla Motors and Panasonic today announced that they will collaborate to develop next-generation battery cells for electric vehicles.

Tesla, the only carmaker producing highway-capable electric vehicles, will use Panasonic’s battery cells in their newest battery packs. The cells are comprised of Nickel-based Lithium ion chemistry, the highest energy density battery cells in production today, preferred by Tesla for EV applications because of their high capacity, light weight, durability, and long life.

“Our collaboration with Panasonic will accelerate the development of next generation EV cells, enabling Tesla to further improve our battery pack performance,” said JB Straubel, Tesla’s Chief Technology Officer. “Combining Tesla’s rigorous cell testing and understanding of EV requirements with Panasonic’s cutting-edge battery technology will result in custom cells optimized for use in EVs.”

Panasonic is the world’s leading battery cell manufacturer and a diverse supplier to the global automotive industry.

“Being selected by Tesla to provide cells for their current and next- generation EV battery pack is a tremendous validation of Panasonic’s nickel-based chemistry and the extensive investments Panasonic continues to make in lithium ion R&D and production,” said Naoto Noguchi, President of Panasonic Energy Company.

Panasonic is one of the world’s largest producers of Lithium-ion battery cells. Furthermore, Panasonic is the global leader in lithium-ion cell technology, and is midway through a 3-year USD$1 billion investment in lithium-ion battery cell R&D and production facilities. The first of the new facilities in Suminoe, Japan will begin production in April 2010.

Tesla’s current battery strategy incorporates proprietary packaging using cells from multiple battery suppliers. This new cell will also be compatible with other cell form factors to enable the continuation of Tesla’s strategy of using cells from multiple suppliers. Tesla has already delivered more than 900 cars to customers in North America and Europe.

GM Builds First Lithium-ion Battery for Chevrolet Volt

Exactly three years since the day the Chevrolet Volt concept car debuted, GM today manufactured the first advanced lithium-ion battery for a mass-marketed electric vehicle at GM's Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant.

“This is an important milestone for GM – and a critical step in bringing the Chevrolet Volt to market,” said GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre.

GM announced last August a $43-million investment to prepare the 160,000-square-foot, landfill-free facility for production of lithium-ion battery packs for the Volt and other electric vehicles with extended-range capabilities. The plant is part of a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors called GM Subsystems Manufacturing LLC.

In just five months, the Brownstown plant was converted from an empty facility to a production-ready battery manufacturing site. New machinery and specialized equipment have been installed and three primary assembly areas have been completed: battery module pre-assembly, final assembly and the battery pack main line.

The Volt’s battery pack is made up of multiple linked battery modules and more than 200 battery cells. The initial assembly area is where the prismatic-shaped cells are processed and installed by state-of-the-art flexible automated equipment into modules, which are then delivered to the battery pack main line.

The battery pack main line area features an Automated Guided Cart (ACG) system that includes operations for thermal and electrical assembly, along with quality and dimensional checks. The main line is also where battery pack final testing, verification and packaging for shipment take place.



Initial battery production at Brownstown will be used to validate the plant’s equipment and processes, and batteries will be sent to GM’s Global Battery Systems lab in Warren, Mich., for testing. This spring, GM will begin shipping batteries to GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, the assembly location for the Volt, for use in production validation vehicles.

Regular production at Brownstown and Detroit-Hamtramck is set to begin in the fourth quarter.

GM is investing $700 million in eight Michigan facilities for Volt-related production, including $336 million in the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which will benefit from battery research conducted at the battery lab in Warren; receive batteries from Brownstown; use tooling from Grand Blanc; take delivery of camshafts and connecting rods from Bay City; and dies, stampings and the Volt’s 1.4L engine-generator from three plants in Flint.

“The development of electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt is creating entire new sectors in the auto industry – an ‘ecosystem’ of battery developers and recyclers, builders of home and commercial charging stations, electric motor suppliers and much more,” Whitacre said. “These companies and universities are creating new jobs in Michigan and across the U.S. – green jobs – and they’re doing it by developing new technology, establishing new manufacturing capability, and strengthening America's long-term competitiveness.”

In August, the U.S. Dept. of Energy selected 45 companies, universities and organizations, including GM, in 28 states for more than $2 billion in awards for electric drive and battery manufacturing and transportation electrification. Nearly half of that total is designated for cell, battery and materials manufacturing facilities in Michigan.

The Volt is an electric vehicle with extended-range capability. It is designed to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is depleted of energy, a flex-fuel engine-generator seamlessly operates to extend the total driving range to about 300 miles before refueling or stopping to recharge the battery. Pricing has not been announced.

Riversimple 'Hyrban' Open Source EV plans on-line

The project to provide a low-cost, ‘open source’ design for a fuel cell car that anyone can access and build has taken a step closer to reality with the publishing of the first engineering drawings online.

All of the designs for Riversimple’s Hyrban will be published on the web, starting with the car’s rear suspension layout. The idea is to speed up development by gathering criticism and comment from users, which will also help to cut the costs of the technology.

“One of our hopes is that the open-source community will speed up development of the fuel cell and electrical network, as well as other key technologies,” said Hugo Spowers, a key partner in the Riversimple project and the man behind Morgan’s Lifecar fuel cell prototype.

The two-seat Hyrban will then be licensed at a low cost in order to bring the technology to market faster than if conventional methods were used. Riversimple has talked about a licence fee as low as £7 per car. Engineering development and UK production will be the responsibility of Riversimple, which is backed by the Piech family fortune.

The model for this unusual arrangement is ‘open code’ computer software such as Mozilla and Linux, which are open to use by any organisation for a minimal licensing fee as an alternative to the market-dominant Microsoft. Within the car industry, Riversimple puts Ford and GM in the same bracket as Microsoft.

The first 10 Hyrban prototypes are planned to be running by the end of next year as part of a plan to make up to 5000 a year in the UK, matched by production in other countries.

Coda Automotive Raises $25 Million to Build Electric Sedan

Coda Automotive said it raised $25 million from private investment manager Aeris Capital AG to develop an all-electric sedan for sale this year.

The capitalization for Coda, a unit of closely held Miles Electric Vehicles of Santa Monica, California, now totals $74 million. Investors include founder Miles Rubin; Thomas McLarty, former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton; and Henry Paulson Jr., former U.S. Treasury Secretary under President George W. Bush.

Niall Davis, a principal of Aeris Capital, will join Coda’s board. Chief Executive Officer Kevin Czinger said in a statement that the investment positions Coda to “execute upon its commitment to deliver the first affordable, all-electric sedan to U.S. consumers in 2010.”

Coda has said it will sell an electric car assembled in China, starting in November. “Over time we’re looking to build our cars and the batteries here in the U.S.,” Chief Financial Officer Dan Mosher said in a telephone interview.

The company will have capacity from a plant owned by Hafei Motor Co. initially for 1,400 vehicles from November to January, Mosher said. He said Coda aims to sell 20,000 of the four- seaters, with a top speed of 80 miles per hour, during 2011. The car is powered by a lithium-ion battery.

Coda has said the car will sell for about $45,000, after a federal tax rebate. Kara Saltness, a company spokeswoman, said “we’re looking to get it below that.”

2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid spy shots

With looks reminiscent of the original hybrid, the 1999 Honda Insight, particularly from the rear, the 130-combined-horsepower hybrid has been spotted in a video, from which a number of stills have been taken. While there aren't any additional specs to come with it, you can at least see what you'll look like driving down the road while you get somewhere above 55 miles per gallon.

The vehicle will use the same 1.3 L VTEC engine found in Honda's Insight but will have a more powerful electric motor, giving the car a total of 130 hp ( 95 kw) and 200 lb-ft (272 Nm) of torque. The Insight delivers 98 hp.



Below: The rear view of the original 1999 Honda Insight Hybrid.

Westfield Sportscars join EV Cup ( w / VIDEO )

Westfield Sportscars join EV Cup with their innovative electric race car, the iRACER.

Westfield’s iRACER is a track focused electric vehicle designed and engineered to support a growing demand for zero emission sports cars. With a target total weight of 600kg, powered by two motors delivering 160 hp (120kW), the final vehicle will have a sub 5 second 0-60mph time, with an electronically limited top speed of 110mph.

Using an intelligent and flexible design, over half (approx. 100kg) of the state of the art Lithium Phosphate batteries will be stored under the floor to lower the centre of gravity. For a greater range and for better weight distribution, additional batteries can also be positioned towards the front of the vehicle. While this flexibility presents a number of practical and financial benefits, it also offers an additional competitive element for optimal vehicle setup for different circuits on the EV Cup calendar.

Westfield’s iRACER joins an already exciting SportsEV class line up. Dr. Paul Faithfull, Technical Director of Westfield Sportscars, “We are excited by the prospect of racing against other electric vehicles at circuits across Europe and beyond. EV Cup represents a great opportunity for us to develop vehicle technology on the back of this direct competition, a way to benchmark and to show that electric racing can be as dramatic and exciting as conventional motorsport.”

Says Managing Director Sylvain Filippi: “Westfield’s iRACER is another example of the excitement behind performance electric vehicles, this time, open top and very lightweight. We look forward to working with Westfield and witnessing the success of their iRACER.”



The iRACER is the result of a collaborative project between Westfield Sportscars, and Niche Vehicle Network partners Potenza Technology, Delta Motorsport, RDM Automotive, and Coventry University. Funded through an Advantage West Midlands programme, the vehicle has been styled by upcoming designer Elliott Hawkins from the Royal College of Arts.

Powered by two motors, that take the place of the differential, delivering 80 hp direct drive to each of the iRACER’s rear wheels via a reduction gear. Using an intelligent and flexible design, over half (approx. 100kg) of the state of the art Lithium Phosphate batteries will be stored under the floor to improve the positioning of the centre of gravity. For a greater range and for better weight distribution, additional batteries can also be positioned towards the front of the vehicle.

The motors are currently being tested at half power, with Westfield describing the car’s early pace as “brisk”. The next stages of development include the creation of new bodywork and artificial engine noise. The motors will also be further developed to provide independent control of the rear wheels.

Audi seem to have set a precedent with their E-Tron for quoting torque at the wheels on EVs with in-board wheel motors. The Tesla Roadster Sport has 400 Nm at the motor shaft. Multiply that by the 8.27:1 final drive ratio and we get 3308 Nm @ the wheels! The 1000 Nm iRacer doesn’t look so ’stump pulling’ by comparison.

It is set to make appearances at several public events throughout the year before the one-make series gets under way next year.



Westfield iRACER Specs

General:

* Kerb Weight – 600kg
* Length – 3600mm
* Width – 1635mm
* Installation – Rear, rear wheel drive
* Bodywork - Lightweight and recyclable

Technical:

* Drive motor – Oxford Yasa Motors, 80hp , 500Nm @ each wheel
* Battery - 170kg, Lithium Phosphate

Performance:

* 0-60mph - under 5 seconds
* Top speed – 110mph (electronically limited)
* Range – 55 race miles on a single charge (extendable)
* Recharge – 2 hours charge time from three phase generator

Mercedes-Benz plan Plug-In Hybrid S-Class

Due for sale in 2012, the new S-Class sedan will be offered with plug-in hybrid technology, and eventually this option will be offered across the automaker’s fleet.

The information comes from Mercedes-Benz research and development chief Thomas Weber, who explained to Autocar during a recent interview that it “makes a lot of sense to bundle the high-price tech option to the sort of customers willing to pay for this sort of thing.”

The technology has already been previewed by last year’s Vision S500 Plug-In Hybrid Concept, which combined a 3.5-liter V-6 gasoline engine with an electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries.

Dropping this powertrain into the next-generation S-Class, which is also expected to benefit from a weight reduction program and aerodynamic aids, Mercedes-Benz could potentially deliver the promised 70 mpg luxury sedan.

There won’t be a purely electric version, however. Weber ruled such a car out due to concerns over its range. Note, however, that a plug-in hybrid version could potentially drive on all-electric power alone for short distances.

As for the rest of the lineup, expect a new range of “MoVe” modular V-6 and V-8 engines featuring direct-injection and turbocharging technologies.