Johnson Controls-Saft bags $8.2 milion contract

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has awarded Johnson Controls-Saft a contract as part of its broad battery technology research and development programme.

The contract is valued at $8.2 million.

The contract will focus on the development of lithium-ion battery systems for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and over the course of two years will seek to validate the commercial feasibility of lithium-ion technology for mass market PHEVs.

USABC, whose members are Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation, awarded Johnson Controls-Saft a similar contract in 2006 focused on lithium-ion battery systems for hybrid electric vehicles. It is one of several technology development consortia of USCAR, the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC.

According to USCAR, lithium-ion technology has the potential to dramatically change the personal transportation landscape for consumers. It can support multiple powertrain technologies, from PHEVs to fuel cell vehicles.

For its part, Johnson Controls-Saft is currently working on development of the complete PHEV system.

The system includes high energy capacity cells, battery management electronics, control software and an efficient thermal management system, all optimally packaged for safety and efficient integration into the vehicle.

Mary Ann Wright, who leads the Johnson Controls-Saft joint venture and is vice president and general manager for Johnson Controls hybrid battery business, said that specifically, key goals for this PHEV contract are to optimise cell and battery system design for 10-mile and 40-mile electric range vehicles.

Delphi sells its remaining 19.5 percent stake in EnerDel to Ener1

Ener1 has strengthened its position in the lithium-ion battery segment by acquiring exclusive ownership of EnerDel, including essential manufacturing and intellectual property assets from former JV partner Delphi Automotive Systems LLC.

Ener1 took the remaining 19.5 percent interest in EnerDel that it didn’t already own from venture partner Delphi, which has been in bankruptcy protection since 2005. Ener1 paid $8 million in cash and 2.9 million shares of Ener1 restricted common stock for the EnerDel stake.

Earlier this month, EnerDel indicated about its plans to expand its Indianapolis plant by the end of the year to start commercial production of 600-pound lithium-ion battery packs that will power a Norwegian-made all-electric car.

“We’re planning to expand rapidly. We’re scaling up to some big numbers,” said Charles Gassenheimer, chairman and chief executive of Ener1, had said, according to indystar.com.

EnerDel, which has a manufacturing facility near Indianapolis, has a contract to provide batteries to Norway’s Think Global over the next two years. In June, the companies announced the successful demonstration of an operational battery pack in a Think City electric vehicle.

EnerDel plans a 49,000-square-foot expansion and remodeling of its plant at 8740 Hague Road, where batteries are produced, according to a state-filed building permit. Currently, EnerDel does battery research at the plant and produces limited numbers of lithium-ion batteries for testing and development in electric cars and gas-electric hybrid vehicles.