Tokyo (AP) — Japanese electronics maker Hitachi Ltd. said Thursday it will supply lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles to General Motors Corp in 2010 and sharply raise production capacity to meet surging demand for gas-electric cars.
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.
Ford Escape Hybrid the first hybrid electric SUV and first hybrid electric vehicle with a flexible fuel capability to run on E85
A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional propulsion system with a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle. Its secondary propulsion system, additional to the electric motors, means that it does not require regular visits to a charging unit as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) does.
Toyota Motor Corp.’s hybrids now use nickel-metal hydride batteries. The world’s largest automaker said last month it will use for the first time lithium-ion batteries for its plug-in hybrid cars.
So the question is, what makes these batteries so energetic and so popular?
Lithium-Ionen-Accumulator
Lithium-ion batteries are popular because they have a number of important advantages over competing technologies:
- They’re generally much lighter than other types of rechargeable batteries of the same size. The electrodes of a lithium-ion battery are made of lightweight lithium and carbon. Lithium is also a highly reactive element, meaning that a lot of energy can be stored in its atomic bonds. This translates into a very high energy density for lithium-ion batteries.
- They hold their charge. A lithium-ion battery pack loses only about 5 percent of its charge per month, compared to a 20 percent loss per month for NiMH batteries.
- Lithium-ion batteries can handle hundreds of charge/discharge cycles.
Using a lithium-ion battery will produce more energy, allowing hybrid cars to run more as an electric vehicle, but there have been some technological hurdles.
