Hybrid/Electric Vehicles
Why lithium batteries?
The last decade has seen a significant amount of development work on lithium batteries for vehicles, which has been greatly enhanced by the efficiency and safety improvements in the lithium batteries for portable electronics. Prices have started to decline and are expected to drop considerably with the mass adoption of electric vehicles providing economies of scale and government subsidies providing increased incentives in the short term.
Lithium batteries enjoy several advantages over Nickel Metal batteries used in hybrid cars today, including greater cell voltage, higher energy and power densities, higher useful capacity, greater charge efficiency, lower self discharge rates and a longer operating life.
Nearly every major car manufacturer now has a lithium battery project underway and there is a push underway for lithium batteries to power the vast majority of electric cars from 2011 onwards.
Development of alternative energy generation technologies such as solar and wind is also increasing. Many of these technologies capture energy as it is available and store it for use when needed. These increased storage requirements are also expected to impact the demand for lithium-based batteries.
Why Lithium? - High Energy Density
Source: Aexon Power
