General Motors Awards Contracts for Li-ion Battery Development

Anthony Fontanelle
June 11, 2007

General Motors recently announced that they have awarded contracts for the development of advanced lithium-ion battery packs. The said batteries will be part of General Motors’ E-Flex System. This step is a move forward in making the Chevy Volt become a production vehicle.

Thirteen companies have passed their technical proposal to the car manufacturer and General Motors selected only two companies among the whole lot. The contracts awarded by General Motors are for the development of batteries which will be used on the two variants of the E-Flex System. The plug-in hybrid car Chevy Volt, when it comes to production, will be built around the E-Flex architecture.

One of the two companies awarded with the contract is Compact Power Inc. which is based in Troy, Michigan. The lithium-ion battery supplier is a subsidiary of LG Chem, a Korean firm. The second contract was given to Continental Automotive System which is based in Frankfurt, Germany. General Motors also announced that they will continue exploring ways to develop advanced automotive lithium-ion batteries to bring it to the market faster.

“The signing of these battery development contracts is an important next step on the path to bring the Volt closer to reality,” says General Motors Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner. “Given the huge potential that the Volt and its E-Flex system offers to lower oil consumption, lower oil imports, and reduce carbon emissions, this is a top priority program for General Motors,” he added.

Earlier this year, the Chevy Volt was unveiled as a concept at the North American International Auto Show. At the said event, the Volt was announced as a plug-in battery electric propulsion system-powered car. In April, at the Shanghai Auto Show, General Motors unveiled a plug-in fuel cell version of the Volt. According to the manufacturer, the “E” in the E-Flex stands for electric drive while the “Flex” points out the flexibility of the car as to its fuel.

The use of batteries in the Chevy Volt is a complicated affair. For the plug-in hybrid variant, the battery should be durable due to the vibrations of the engine. With the fuel cell-powered Volt, the system needs only half the power and energy compared to the hybrid. The battery that should be used though should complement the electrical system of the car while providing only what the fuel cell system needs. According to General Motors, the two companies awarded the contracts proposed the most sensible solution to the problems of developing lithium-ion batteries for both variants of the Chevy Volt.

“This technology is developing rapidly,” says Denise Gray, the General Motors director of hybrid energy storage devices. “These contracts are an opportunity to deeply understand the differing battery technologies before making a production decision.”

The Chevy Volt is expected to be welcomed warmly by the car buying public as the price of gasoline escalates and the call for environment-friendly vehicles increases. The plug-in electric version of the Volt is expected to cut down greenhouse gas emissions significantly compared to current Chevrolet vehicles equipped with the Chevy catalytic converter which takes care of the unburned fuel before they are released into the atmosphere.

Currently, General Motors offers environment-friendly vehicles such as the Saturn Vue Green Line and another hybrid version of the Saturn Aura. The Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon will soon be offered with hybrid drivetrains.

Source:  Amazines.com