http://gas2.org/2014/08/09/new-electric-car-battery-cuts-weight-40/ New Electric Car Battery Cuts Weight by 40% 20140809
[image http://gas2.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/lite-battery.png ev-lite lightweight battery ] Electric cars are quickly overcoming the hurdles of cost and range anxiety, but one area that still needs improvement is the added weight of big battery packs. UK-based Cenex has just completed a two-year project to reduce both the weight and cost of EV batteries, succeeding by shaving 99 pounds, or about 41% of the weight off a standard EV battery, reports Green Car Congress. Cenex also achieved a 63% reduction in the cost of non-cell battery components, and ultimately the company hopes to enable mass production of lower weight and cost battery packs. Cenex made these weight and cost savings by eliminating the need for wires and screws in the power pack, massively reducing the number of battery components; in two similarly-sized 4 kWh modules, the EV-Lite battery project used just 196 separate components, compared to over 800 in a conventional battery pack. Cenex also developed an innovative safety feature which isolates individual cells in case of a fire, and the team derived five different patents for their efforts. Considering that the average EV battery is complicated, costly, and in the case of the Tesla Model S, can weigh upwards of 1,300 pounds. Reduce that by 40%, and you just shaved over 500 pounds from the curb weight of the Model S, which would mean more range and better driving characteristics. Lighter batteries have a lot of benefits, and once automakers overcome the bugaboo of weight, we should start seeing some really long range EVs. [© gas2.org] http://www.cenex.co.uk/news/ev-lite-project-completed-exciting-developments-lightweighting-batteries/ EV-Lite project completed: exciting developments for the lightweighting of batteries Cenex is pleased to announce the successful completion of a Sustainable Lightweight Low Cost Battery Systems for Extended Life Cycles (EV-Lite); a two-year project co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board. The project consortium is formed of the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Unipart Manufacturing, Electrovaya, RDVS, CRR, Bluebird Innovation Group, Loughborough University and Cenex. After two years of intensive collaboration, the EV-Lite project is drawing to a close. The consortium has been immensely successful with the design of a new electric vehicle battery. The project targets have been surpassed with a 41% reduction in weight and a 63% reduction in cost of the non-cell components realised. This translates to a saving of 45kg at the battery pack level. The ultimate aim of this ambitious and exciting project is to enable volume manufacturing for electric vehicle battery packs in the UK through innovative design and, in doing so, help bring electrical vehicles to the mass market. Innovative design and manufacturing ideas have helped the consortium to achieve significant cost reductions and weight savings without sacrificing functionality. The new battery design has no wire or screws; this step change in design has translated into significant improvements in battery pack assembly. When compared to a benchmarked battery the EV-Lite design has a parts count of 196 vs 807 for a 4KwHr sized module. Key achievements of the project include: - No wires or screws used in design - Novel safety feature to isolate cells in an accident - Design for low cost, automated assembly - Novel battery interface system - 5 patent applications - Novel battery management board design In the EV-Lite project, the main role of Cenex is managing the battery test and validation work package. The lead partner, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, has manufactured two prototype battery packs, utilising a new Battery Management System designed by RDVS. One of the battery packs has been tested by Loughborough University using real life test cycles developed by Cenex to ensure the new project battery design is tested within a performance envelope representative of conditions during in-service operation. The prototype battery pack and the mobile robotic assembly cell used for automated assembly will be presented to the public at Cenex-LCV 2014 at Millbrook Proving Ground in September. 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