Daimler Claims Lithium Ion Battery Breakthrough
German automaker Daimler said Friday it has become the first car company to adapt lithium-ion battery technology for a production car and will use the new batteries in the upcoming S400 BlueHybrid in 2009.
Keeping things cool for reliability has been an ongoing concern with developers of lightweight, high-energy lithium ion batteries for hybrid cars.
Daimler says its engineers have integrated the battery into the car's climate control system to ensure that its is always operating at 60-95 degrees Fahrenheit (15-35 degrees Celsius) "to provide long life and maximum performance.'
The company said it has obtained 25 patents on its battery technology.
And signaling a possible intent to market the technology to others, Daimler calls it, in grandiose marketing language, "groundbreaking key technology that is going to be a decisive factor for the future success of the automotive industry."
Daimler said its new battery is lighter and smaller than the nickel-metal hydride batteries now used in hybrids and that its weight-to-power ratio is 1,900 watts per liter, but would offer no further detail.
The S400 hybrid with the new battery, the company said, would achieve almost 30 miles per gallon fuel economy (7.9 liters per 1000 kilometers) and carbon dioxide emissions of 67.4 pounds per 100 miles (190 grams per kilometer).
The mild hybrid system would combine a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine and a 15 kilowatt electric hybrid drive to produce 299 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, capable of launching the the car to 62 miles per hour in 7.3 seconds.
Daimler plans to launch the S400 hybrid and the ML450 hybrid SUV simultaneously in Europe and North America next year.
Little birdies tell us that the ML450 also will use lithium-ion batteries.
"always operating at 60-95 degrees"
How does this apply when I wake up in the morning and it's 30 degrees (F) below zero?
Does anyone have a decent article that talks about how these kinds of systems really work at extreme temperatures. If the battery drains quickly at extreme temps, I can't see myself purchasing a vehicle that relies on batteries for a portion of its propulsion.
The temperature doesn't only affect Li-ion batteries. Talk to anyone with a hybrid now, they can tell you first hand.... the technology doesn't work as well in the cold. But, the batteries produce heat during charge and discharge, so it doesn't take long (think 5-10 miles) before they are operating in this range. The real problem comes with the "plug in" aspect, as their capacity in the cold is not as great.
On a different note... with any technology there is always someone who cries "but it doesn't help ME". It's not an endearing personality trait.