ELECTRIC BATTERY BREAKTHROUGH?
Envia's 3X boost & 50% cost reduction
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Published on Fri, Mar 9, 2012
By: The LACar Editorial Staff
ELECTRIC BATTERY BREAKTHROUGH?
Will a recent breakthrough from an American battery maker be enough to make a significant dent in the cost premium of hybrids and electric cars?
California-based battery maker Envia Systems announced this week a major advance in lithium-ion cell technology that would not only result in a major boost in the energy density of lithium-ion battery packs to almost three times that of conventional auto cells, it also could reduce the cost of cells by close to 50 percent.
That cost savings could make all the difference to additional sales of hybrid and electric vehicles, especially when it comes to consumer concerns about the potential cost of replacement batteries.
The battery maker, which receives financing from the Energy Department, General Motors, and other investors, also says the cells aren't demonstrations or experiments—they could be in automotive production within a year and a half. With more consumers already considering hybrid and electric vehicles due to high gas prices, cost savings in the purchase price could be the push many need to take the electric plunge. Ailis Aaron Wolf Hybrid Cars of America
