Johnson Controls Inc. (Milwaukee, WI) has been granted a contract for lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery development by the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). Over the 18-month program, the company will develop an abuse-tolerant, Li-Ion battery offering extended life and significantly improved power-to-weight performance versus current hybrid-battery technology.
The project will leverage Johnson Controls' expertise in developing power-storage and power-management technologies for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Johnson Controls and the US Department of Energy are funding the 18-month program, and the USABC is providing programmatic support. Under terms of the contract, Johnson Controls is required to supply modules that can be tested for abuse-tolerance, capacity, pulse power, calendar life and cycle life. The initial product will consist of 12 Ah cells. A major goal is to meet the FreedomCAR battery-performance requirements, as set forth by the USABC.
