A123 Systems to add jobs in Ann Arbor after winning electric vehicle battery contract from General Motors

General Motors said today that it is contracting with A123 Systems to make electric vehicle battery components and packs.

A spokeswoman for A123 Systems confirmed that the company expects to add employees at its Ann Arbor operation after signing the deal. The company, which has about 35 workers at its operation in a research park just east of South State Road, recently hired its 1,000th employee in Michigan.

GM's Chevrolet Volt is the automaker's only vehicle currently on the market that uses lithium-ion batteries. Now, the automaker plans to contract with A123 Systems for lithium-ion batteries, although it did not reveal which future vehicles would use the batteries.

Courtesy photo

The spokeswoman said in an email that it was too early to know exactly how many jobs would be added. The Ann Arbor operation conducts advanced research and "government solutions."

GM said it had validated A123 Systems' nanophosphate lithium-ion battery technologies and would work with the supplier to develop "calibrations and software controls for the battery system in preparation for production."

GM said it was not prepared to reveal which electric vehicles the batteries would power. The company's only electrically powered car currently on the market is the Chevrolet Volt, which can travel about 40 miles on a single charge of electricity before a gasoline engine kicks in, allowing the car to continue driving seamlessly.

“GM is committed to offering a full line of electrified vehicles — each of which calls for different battery specifications,” said Micky Bly, GM’s executive director of global electrical systems, infotainment and electrification, in a statement. “We work with a variety of battery developers and A123’s advanced nanophosphate lithium ion technology offers ideal performance capabilities for a future electrified vehicle application.”

A123 Systems is headquartered in Massachusetts but most of its operations are based in Michigan, including a massive battery production facility in Livonia.

The GM deal is a big win for A123 Systems, which was facing skepticism from analysts who said the company wasn't securing enough contracts.

It also comes two years after GM passed up A123 to pick Korean supplier LG Chem's Troy-based Compact Power unit to supply battery components for the Volt.

In 2009, A123 won a $249.1 million economic stimulus grant from the U.S. government to advance its technology and expand manufacturing.

A123 Systems' core technology has roots in Ann Arbor. A startup called T/J Technologies, founded in the 1990s by entrepreneur Maria Thompson and her husband, University of Michigan engineering professor Levi Thompson, was sold to A123 in 2006. A123 turned T/J's local operation into its Ann Arbor presence.

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.

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As electric vehicle chargers come to Macy's, battery swapping hits China

US electric vehicle charging firm ECOtality announced this week that it would install chargers at Macy's department stores, the latest in a series of moves which will make chargers more accessible to the public.

Shoppers at the popular stores in the San Diego region will be able to charge their electric vehicles while they shop at the popular outlet, the first department store chain to sign up ECOtality's EV Project.

Installation will kick off in the coming months and if the scheme is popular, ECOtality says that it will be expanded to other locations.

Charging stations are rapidly popping up at big name outlets as more and more electric vehicles hit the road in the US -- ECOtality already offers stations at Best Buy, while its competitor ChargePoint opened the first charging point at a McDonald's restaurant last year.

Nonetheless, not everyone is convinced that EV charging is a panacea for electric motoring -- so far the rapid growth of chargers has failed to dampen fears over the relatively short range and long charge times of electric vehicles.

Better Place, a company which is betting that drivers would prefer to battery swap, rather than battery charge, announced it was moving into China this week after signing a deal with the world's eighth largest utility firm.

Better Place and China Southern Power Grid Co. are set to build a battery switch station in Guangzhou before the year is out, in an attempt to "further advance electric cars with switchable batteries in China."

The firm, which opened its first European center in the Danish capital Copenhagen March 3, also released figures that suggested it's not the only one with a strong interest in battery-swapping technology -- some 100,000 visitors every year have visited its "education" center near Tel Aviv, in Copenhagen, and Toronto.

http://www.ecotality.com
http://www.betterplace.com

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GEM battery electric: neighborhood friendly and 30 mile range

By Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 9:31 a.m.

The GEM e2 seats two occupants with bench-style seating using molded-foam cushions covered by marine grade UV-stable vinyl coverings.

Body style: 2-, 4- and 6-seat passenger models; 3 utility models

Powertrain: heavy-duty DC motor with continuous 5 hp and a 21-hp peak during acceleration and hill climbing; six 12-volt battery pack (nine 8-volt gel pack on largest utility model); regenerative braking

Transmission: single speed gear reducer with an integrated differential

Top speed: 25mph

Charging time: 6 to 8 hours with onboard, 72-volt DC charger that plugs into a standard 110-volt AC 15-amp household outlet

Length: 99 to 162 in.

Wheelbase: 72 to 133 in.

Payload: 710 to 1,380 lbs (including options, passengers and cargo)

Curb weight: 1,140 to 1,620 lbs.

Safety features: quartz-halogen headlights, turn signals, rearview mirror and side mirrors, 3-point seat belts, high-mounted rear brake and taillights, laminated and tinted automotive safety glass with a windshield wiper.

Base pricing: $8,440 to $14,380, including freight charges

Warranty: 1 year

Where assembled: Fargo, North Dakota

Info: Gemcar.com

The GEM Neighborhood Electric Vehicle may look like a customized golf cart, but its automotive-grade engineering (and testing) is the big separator.

These battery-electric vehicles by the Global Electric Motorcar Co., a division of Chrysler LLC, are built with welded aluminum space frames, A-arm front independent suspension with coil springs over shock absorbers, carlike rack-and-pinion steering, automotive-style hydraulic brakes and a parking brake.

They also have such safety features as 12-inch street-rated tires, quartz-halogen headlights, turn signals, a rearview mirror and side mirrors, three-point seat belts, high-mount rear brake and taillights, and laminated, tinted automotive safety glass with a windshield wiper.

The front-drive GEMs, sold in six body styles, have a driving range of 30 to 35 miles fully loaded. The electric drive is by a heavy-duty DC motor with continuous 5 horsepower with a 21-hp reserve for acceleration and hill climbing.

Sold in 2-, 4- and 6-seat passenger models, starting prices range from $8,440 to $14,380, including freight charges. Three two-seat utility models with short, long and extra-long bed lengths range in price from $9,610 to $12,670. A federal 10 percent discount (up to $2,500) is available through Dec. 31. And California Clean Vehicle Rebates ranging from $1,000 and $1,350 are available on most models.

Options include a 7-hp Performance Package, $525, and Convenience package, $200, which adds an accessory outlet, grab handles, mud flaps and scuff guards. There’s a radio-CD-MP3 audio system, $710, and fast chargers, starting at $3,340. The fast charger will bring six 12-volt batteries up to 80 percent state of charge within 2 to 4 hours and a full charge in 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size of the batteries used.

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Power Wheels 12-Volt Rechargeable Battery

This 12-volt battery has been designed to fulfill rigorous Power Wheels requirements in order to provide the best possible performance, durability and maximum play time for Power WheelsR vehicles.

Price: $59.99

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The History of Battery Electric Vehicles

Battery Electric Vehicles or BEVs, predated the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. It was between 1832-1839 that Robert Anderson, a Scottish businessman, invented the first electric carriage and Professor Sibrandus Stratingh from the Netherlands designed the first small-scale electric car which was built by his assistant Christopher Becker in 1835.

The storage battery improved, firstly by Gaston Planté, a French physicist who invented the lead acid cell in 1859 and the first rechargeable battery. Then, in 1881, Camille Faure developed a more efficient and reliable battery which became so successful in the early electric cars. This discovery caused battery electric vehicles to flourish, with France and Great Britain being the first nations to support widespread development of electric vehicles.

Prior to 1900, battery electric vehicles held many speed and distance records, the most notable of which, was the breaking of the 100 km/h (60 mph) speed barrier. It was by Camille Jenatzy on April 29, 1899 in a rocket-shaped vehicle named Jamais Contente (Never Happy) which reached a top speed of 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph).

During the early 20th Century, battery electric vehicles outsold gasoline powered vehicles and were successfully sold as town cars to upper-class customers. Because of technological limitations, these cars were limited to a top speed of about 32 km/h (20 mph). The cars were marketed as "suitable vehicles for women drivers". Electric vehicles did not need hand-cranking to start.

One of the downfalls of the battery electric vehicle was the introduction of the electric starter in 1913. It simplified the task of starting an internal combustion engine which was previously difficult and dangerous to start with the crank handle. Another was the mass-produced and relatively cheap Ford Model-T. Finally, the loss of Edisons direct current electric power transmission system. He was battling with George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla over their desire to introduce alternating current as the principal electricity distribution. Edison's direct current was the load for electric motors.

Battery electric vehicles were limited to niche applications. Forklift trucks were battery electric vehicles when introduced in 1923. BEV golf carts which were used as neighborhood electric vehicles and were partially "street legal". By the late 1930s, the electric automobile industry had disappeared until the invention of the point contact transistor in 1947 which started a new era of electric vehicle.

In 1959 the Henney Kilowatt was introduced and was the world's first modern transistor-regulated electric car and the predecessor to the more recent battery electric vehicles such as General Motors EV1. Only 47 Henney Kilowatts were produced, 24 being sold as 1959 models and 8 as 1960 models. It is not clear what happened to the other 15 built but it could be possible that they were sold as 1961 or 1962 models. None of the 8 1960 models were sold to the public because of the high manufacturing costs, but were sold to the electric cooperatives who funded the project.

It is estimated that there are between four and eight Henney Kilowatt battery electric vehicles still in existence with at least two of the survivors still driven periodically.

Battery electric vehicles have had issues with high battery costs, with limited travel distances, with charging time and the lifespan of the battery, although advancements in battery technology has addressed many of those problems.

At the present time, controversy reigns over battery electric vehicles. Campaigners, (et al) for BEV's are accusing three major US automobile manufacturers of deliberately sabotaging BEV efforts through several methods, for instance, failing to market, failing to produce appropriate vehicles, by failing to satisfy demand and using lease-only programs with prohibitions against end of lease purchase.

In their defense, the three major manufacturers they have responded that they only make what the public want and the current trend is that the public doesn't want battery electric vehicles.

Although we have the technology to manufacture and provide BEVs, one of the biggest downfalls for the prolific production of BEVs is the extortionate cost of replacement batteries. In some cases the cost of replacement batteries can be more than the price of the whole vehicle, especially when buying used battery electric vehicles.

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