The B2B platform for full-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles: Events News

Below a second selection of presentations given during BATTERIES 2009. Market trends for electric vehicles 2008 - 2020, the key automotive requirements for EVs and PHEVs as well as Li-ion battery safety issues for EV applications were all discussed.

Ali Madani, General Manager, Avicenne: “The HEV, P-HEV & EV market trends 2008-2020; Battery is the Key!”
Avicenne forecasts one of the world’s most important disruptions in the car industry in the next decade. Madani is certain that HEVs, PHEVs & EVs will change the gasoline dogma in the car industry and that in consequence the EVs could also change the whole battery market on a long-term basis.

According to Madani’s analysis, hybrid vehicles are a niche market now but he expects that in 2015 more than 2,1 million hybrid cars will be sold worldwide. These HEV cars will be mainly powered by NiMH battery technology and not by Li-ion technology. However, Avicenne see Li-ion technology to be dominating the PHEV and EV market will still need more time to develop compared to the HEV one.

In the attached presentation you can find statistics and details on the size and characteristics of the worldwide rechargeable battery market in 2008; the EV, HEV and PHEV segmentations; the HEV market by competitors and by area as well as statistics concerning the battery market for cars in the total market in 2008 and forecasts by 2015 and 2020.

Ted Miller, Senior Manager, Energy Storage Strategy and Research, Ford Motor Company: “The Automotive Transition from NiMH to Li-Ion”
Miller started his presentation with key automotive requirements for EVs and PHEVs such as higher energy power batteries and the requirement of full power over a wide temperature range. He stated that the future designs in automotive battery electrochemistry will clearly feature higher power, higher energy, lower cost of Li-ion and high-energy metallic lithium. For Miller, Li-Ion batteries are the obvious energy storage option for PHEV over NiMH, as Li-ion batteries have 50% less weight (~ 100-200 lbs), 30% less volume, but still a tight packaging as well as a high degree of application compatibility. In addition, he sees the wider range of electrode material choices and a long term cost potential for Li-ion technology.

Isao Torii, President, Mitsubishi Motor R&D Europe GmbH: “New Generation Electric Vehicle i-MiEV - a practical solution for sustainable mobility”
Torii first gave an overview of Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle History that starting in the early 70ies. He explained the battery development of Mitsubishi models from lead-acid to nickel hydride to today’s Li-ion technology of the i-MiEV. The all-electric vehicle has its components installed under the floor panel of the car so that four adults can be seated easily.

The charging procedure for the i-MiEV is simple and offers two ways of charging. According to Toril, normal charging at any regular plug in Japan is possible in 14h with 100V or in 7h with 200V from 0 to full. A quick charging option developed by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) together with Subaru, Nissan & Mitsubishi allows to charge the EV in around 30 minutes from 0 to 80% with a three-phase, 200V and 50 kW charging.

Fleet tests have been conducted in Japan during 2008 and mass production of the i-MiEV started in June 2009 with 1400 cars to be produced this year. For Europe the fleet test have started beginning of 2009 and the sales launch is planned for the end of 2010.

Laurent Torcheux, Project Manager, EDF Guy Marlair, Scientific and Technical Support, Accidental Risk Division, INERIS: “Li ion battery safety issues for electric vehicles applications”
The presentation mentioned the fact that safety issues pertaining to batteries used for electric vehicles applications need to be treated as intrinsic part of their technologic development. Progress has been made in this field but that research is still needed. For this reason EDF and INERIS have created a consortium that accompanies technology development in a collaborative way with industrial stakeholders and academic partners. The main idea of the consortium is to take into account the full life cycle of batteries and include the manufacturing, use, transport as well as the recycling and to apply a case-by-case approach. To further ensure safety for electric vehicle applications a certification for the use of battery packs dedicated to large providers of the automotive industry has to be developed.