USABC Gives $2.28M Start-Stop Battery Contract To California Firm
SOUTHFIELD -- The United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC, an organization whose members are Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors, today announced the award of a $2.28 million stop-start battery system development contract to Leyden Energy Inc. of Fremont, Calif.
The award is co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and includes a 50 percent cost-share by Leyden Energy.
The focus of the 16-month program is to develop an advanced lithium-ion 12-volt start-stop battery system to meet or exceed the performance, life and cost targets set by USABC. Specifically, Leyden Energy will design and develop 12-volt start-stop cells using Leyden's Li-imide chemistry.
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, plug-in hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles. As such, USABC has developed mid- and long-term goals to guide its projects and measure its progress.
"We are pleased to announce the award of this contract to Leyden Energy as part of USABC's broad battery technology research and development programs," said Steve Zimmer, executive director of USCAR. "These programs are essential to advance the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable a broad spectrum of vehicle electrification."
The new contract is USABC's second with Leyden whose previous research with USABC included a competitively bid technology assessment contract for evaluation of its lithium-ion technology for EV applications in a pouch cell in relation to USABC EV battery goals.
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.
Founded in 1992, USCAR is the collaborative automotive technology company for Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors. The goal of USCAR is to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative research and development. For more information, visit USCAR's website at www.uscar.org
