LG Chem Wins $9.6M Battery Development Contract
The Southfield-based The United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC, an organization whose members are Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors, Monday announced the award of a $9.62 million advanced battery technology development contract to LG Chem Power Inc. of Troy.
The competitively bid contract award is co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and includes a 50 percent cost share by LGCPI. USABC awarded the contract to develop a self-contained, thermally managed, lithium-ion battery pack system for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle applications.
The 24-month LGCPI program will use cells that incorporate advanced cathode materials and a thermal management system that incorporates refrigerant-based cooling, integrated heating and high-efficiency insulation. The program aims to make significant strides toward achieving the USABC goals for PHEV 40-mile battery pack system performance requirements while driving down the cost to automakers toward the USABC goal of $3,400.
USABC is a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC. Enabled by a cooperative agreement with the DOE, USABC's mission is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support commercialization of hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles. As such, USABC has developed mid- and long-term goals to guide its projects and measure its progress.
Said Steve Zimmer, executive director of USCAR: "These programs are essential to advancing both near- and long-term goals that will enable a broad spectrum of vehicle electrification and make electrified vehicles increasingly affordable."
The new contract is LG Chem Power's fourth with USABC, which previously awarded the company, under its former name, Compact Power Inc., three contracts -- one in 2008 for plug-in hybrid electric battery technology development, one in 2006 and one in 2004 to develop lithium-ion battery technology for hybrid electric vehicle applications.
The U.S. DOE's overarching mission is to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States. DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program works with industry, academia and national laboratories to develop advanced transportation technologies that reduce the nation's use of imported oil and increase its energy security. Electrochemical energy storage has been identified as a critical enabling technology for advanced, fuel-efficient, light and heavy-duty vehicles.
More at www.uscar.org.
