CONFERENCE PROGRAM

The evolution of energy storage is expanding at a phenomenal rate, with the ever-improving lithium-ion battery at the forefront for the automotive sector. The many different formulations and configurations of these battery systems are driving energy levels higher, but only volume and time will tell if prices can be driven lower for affordability. Today’s specialist speakers will fill us in on how the lithium-ion battery evolution is proceeding from their perspective.

With the potential to offer 10x the energy density of existing batteries, metal-air is increasingly being viewed as the next-generation energy storage technology. This presentation will provide an overview of metal-air technologies, looking at their current development status and some of the remaining challenges to successful market introduction.

High energy density and reliability have made lithium-ion batteries the preferred choice for battery-operated consumer products. It is therefore not surprising that lithium-ion battery packs are considered for use in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). However, unique failure modes may occur and the question is always – can a failure be predicted?

Cost reductions for EV batteries are essential to widespread adoption. But the active material content (anode and cathode) only constitutes 20% of the price, falling to less than 10% in hybrid applications. The panel will review improving the active to inactive material content in a battery system, which components are fundamental to supporting the cell, which are supplementary, the lead times and barriers to change, and how battery costs will ultimately be reduced.

The development of EV battery technology has been focused on retail consumers, 40-50 miles per day and 12,000 miles per year. The challenge, however, is to develop technology that will satisfy the largest potential market: commercial fleets. Fleets accumulate twice as many miles on a daily and annual basis and keep their vehicles for twice as long as the average retail customer. Fleets are also attracted by the standby power capability of EVs and range-extended hybrids. Which chemistries and battery solutions will excel in these demanding situations?

Raw material purity in the manufacturing process is an important factor to consider in order to meet ongoing automobile industry demands for higher battery performance, together with sufficient safety. This talk will review the analytical techniques that best allow accurate monitoring of unwanted impurities and also determine compositional consistency.

Wildcat Discovery Technologies has developed a high-throughput synthesis and screening platform for battery materials. The company is using this high-throughput system to develop new electrode and electrolyte materials for a variety of battery types. This talk will discuss results from the latest discovery programs including new 5V cathodes and electrolytes with <700 Wh/kg. <99.5% coulombic efficiency and significantly improved cycle life in full cells.

With the huge increase in investment in battery manufacturing facilities, great leaps forward have been made in reducing facility build and operational costs, and evolving design and engineering philosophy to enable rapid change on the shop floor. Battery manufacturing techniques are also evolving to meet the increasing demand for high-performance advanced batteries. This session will also outline improvements in manufacturing machinery, which can have a dramatic impact on battery costs.

The push to establish an advanced battery industry in America has led to an unprecedented level of capital expenditure in facilities across the country, although the US battery industry’s incipient production capacity is still dwarfed by that of Asian conglomerates. But new battery technologies have shown promising properties, and may prove to be disruptive to the products of US and foreign manufacturers. The panel will introduce a number of these new technologies and take probing questions from the audience.

Active thermal management for hybrid batteries must be sized to meet peak loads, creating an oversized system (regarding cost, weight, volume) for the majority of driving situations. In this program, a 500Wh battery was built employing passive thermal storage with active components to allow for more efficient design.

ConocoPhillips CPreme anode materials are being widely used in high-performance Li-ion batteries due to their superior rate capability, long cycle life, and stable thermal characteristics. The latest advancements in CPreme materials allow further improvements in cell performance by customizing the anode material for specific cell chemistry and application.

Pike Research estimates that by 2015 the United States will have 840,000 plug-in vehicles on the road. During this session our panelists will discuss their approach to meet President Obama’s goal of one million vehicles, and how momentum in the market can be maintained to grow the drivetrain from a niche to mainstream. The session will provide an understanding of how auto makers view the plug-in vehicle market, and offer insights into how vehicle performance, consumer attitudes and experiences, and infrastructure development fuel plug-in vehicle market growth.

After more than 100 years of transportation based primarily on the burning of fossil fuels the ecosystem required to support electric vehicle alternatives exists.  It is now the responsibility of those throughout the advanced energy storage value chain to optimize the ripe opportunity and global impact that the Second Transportation Revolution represents. 

Dr. Shanker will discuss the interrelated aspects of demand, supply and ongoing innovation necessary to build, grow and sustain the advanced battery industry.

It took transport regulators almost a decade to recognize the differences between primary lithium batteries and rechargeable lithium-ions, and the future regulation of these products remains uncertain. Use of new battery materials faces delays and complications due to “premanufacture notice” and “significant new use” rules. “Product stewardship” concepts create roadblocks to new chemistries, fuel cells, and ultracapacitors. This presentation will review the complex regulatory environment in which battery innovators operate, and explore possible solutions to existing barriers.

As the world increasingly relies on renewable resources to satisfy its thirst for power, the advanced battery industry could stand to benefit from substantial growth. The intermittent nature of renewables requires a reliable, efficient and cost-effective means to store the generated electricity, but just how is the market likely to develop for batteries here?

The battery characteristics that support the resurgent interest and action in electrified transportation are also relevant for use for stationary energy storage systems. Although the promise of second-life use of EV batteries for stationary applications is great, so are the challenges: re-characterizing a battery after EV use, recovery and repackaging for reuse, repricing, reselling, ownership, etc. Today’s panel members are leaders in the conceptual framing of this concept, and have experience with batteries for use in one or both these industries.

Garth's responsibilities include leading the product engineering organization, which is focused on Johnson Controls' current (one to five-year) product development and launch activities. This incorporates existing and emerging technologies for the lead-acid and hybrid business.

Widespread consumer adoption of PHEVs and EVs requires that certain targets for battery performance, and cost be met. Material selection bears directly on performance and is often linked to cost and safety. But the linkages are not always straightforward or intuitive. Often the conclusions reached are overly simplistic, which can have a direct impact on the viability of the end product, and the endurance it needs to build market share. This talk will illustrate these issues and outline the elements that must be considered in order to meet performance and cost in the context of a robust safety strategy.

This session will highlight the adoption readiness of the commercial vehicle market, sharing demand forecasts, unique fleet and commercial vehicle system needs as well as the total cost ownership advantages of advanced battery technology for work trucks of many types. Success stories and examples will explain how commercial vehicle electrification is a win, win, win situation for businesses reliant on fleets, for the national agenda on energy security, and for the advancement of the advanced battery industry.

Standardization is an essential part of the complicated world of the electrification of automobiles. This includes all aspects of the value chain from suppliers, to manufacturers, consumers, and emergency-response personnel, all the way to the recycling of the materials used. The panel will address some of the tough issues that are transparent to the end users but of paramount importance to the manufacturers to ensure cost-competitive, good-quality products.

As battery cell technology improves over the coming years, auto manufacturers will face important design decisions on how to best apply the latest advancements. Some may elect to reduce battery pack cost or size; others may seek to extend the electric range or other performance parameters. This presentation will analyze these trade-offs and contribute a solutions perspective to available market forecasts.

Joshua is one of the leading technology experts in the transit hybrid electric industry and is vice chair on the American Public Transit Association's Clean Transportation Committee. Mr. Goldman joined Proterra in March 2008, as a Director of Business Development where he drives the company's efforts in establishing state and nationwide partnerships between public, private and governmental agencies to develop, test and commercialize zero-emissions technology for heavy duty transportation.