Low-Cost Electric Vehicle Battery Architecture

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Program:
RANGE
Award:
$3,995,980
Location:
Wilton, Connecticut
Status:
ALUMNI
Project Term:
02/10/2014 - 12/01/2017
Website:

Critical Need:

Driving range, safety, and cost remain the biggest hurdles in the way of mass electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Innovative approaches to EV battery manufacturing present the opportunity to maximize stored energy relative to the weight of EVs, allowing for up to three times the driving range. These new battery chemistries and designs prevent overheating, are immune to catastrophic failure, and can be incorporated into the structure of a vehicle to improve strength in some cases. Much of this can be accomplished at a 30% lower cost compared to conventional batteries, thus bolstering widespread adoption of EVs.

Project Innovation + Advantages:

Cadenza Innovation is developing an innovative system to join and package batteries using a wide range of battery chemistries. Today’s battery packs require heavy and bulky packaging that limits where they can be positioned within a vehicle. By contrast, Cadenza’s design enables flexible placement of battery packs to absorb and manage impact energy in the event of a collision. Cadenza’s battery will use a novel configuration that allows for double the energy density through the use of a multifunctional pack design.

Potential Impact:

If successful, Cadenza’s batteries would provide greater energy density compared to today’s lithium-ion batteries, while reducing the costs associated with materials and processing.

Security:

The mass adoption of EVs would diminish the demand for petroleum, dramatically reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Environment:

Greater use of EVs would reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, 28% of which come from the transportation sector.

Economy:

Technological advancements from the RANGE program could enable EVs to travel significantly further on a single charge at a much lower cost than that of current EVs and conventional vehicles.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Grigorii Soloveichik
Project Contact:
Christina Lampe-Onnerud
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
clo@cadenzainnovation.com

Partners

National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Chrysler Group LLC
Magna E-Car of America, Inc.

Related Projects

• Arizona State University (ASU) - Multifunctional Cells for Electric Vehicles
• BASF - Rare-Earth Free EV Batteries
• Bettergy - Beyond Lithium-Ion Solid-State Battery
• Cadenza Innovation - Low-Cost Electric Vehicle Battery Architecture
• Ceramatec - Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
• EnZinc - Rechargeable, Long-Life, Zinc-Air Battery
• General Electric (GE) Power & Water - Water-Based Flow Battery for EVs
• Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) - Nanoelectrofuel Flow Battery for Electric Vehicles
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) - Metal Hydride-Air Battery
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) - Renewable Organics for Flow Battery
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Impact-Resistant Electrolyte
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Light-weight Battery with Built-in Safety Features
• Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) - Structural Battery Power Panels
• Princeton University - Long-Life Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries for EVs
• Purdue University - Impact-Tolerant Electric Vehicle Batteries
• Solid Power - All Solid-State Lithium-Ion Battery
• Stanford University - Multifunctional Battery Chassis Systems
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Long-Life, Acid-Based Battery
• University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) - Multifunctional Battery Systems for Electric Vehicles
• University of Houston - Low-Cost Water-Based Electric Vehicle Batteries
• University of Maryland (UMD) - Multiple-Electron Aqueous Battery
• University of Maryland (UMD) - Solid-State Lithium-Ion Battery With Ceramic Electrolyte

Release Date:
08/21/2013