greenmachine
04-24-2009, 07:21 AM
San Diego based company Powergenix has announced that its long-term goal is to tackle the battery market for hybrid electric vehicles. PowerGenix is generally known for its nickel-zinc batteries for cameras, electric scooters and power tools. A snip-it from an article I read in Forbes this morning:
PowerGenix Chief Executive Dan Squiller says the cost of his nickel-zinc batteries for hybrid cars could be half that of lithium-ion. The reason: Lithium-ion batteries are potentially flammable, and producers have to engineer around that, increasing production costs. (Nickel-zinc batteries don't catch on fire.) The capital equipment for making lithium ion batteries is also more expensive, Phillips says. PowerGenix intentionally designed its nickel-zinc batteries so they could be manufactured on existing nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal-hydride production lines.
Anything to bring down the costs of hybrid vehicles is a good thing.
PowerGenix Chief Executive Dan Squiller says the cost of his nickel-zinc batteries for hybrid cars could be half that of lithium-ion. The reason: Lithium-ion batteries are potentially flammable, and producers have to engineer around that, increasing production costs. (Nickel-zinc batteries don't catch on fire.) The capital equipment for making lithium ion batteries is also more expensive, Phillips says. PowerGenix intentionally designed its nickel-zinc batteries so they could be manufactured on existing nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal-hydride production lines.
Anything to bring down the costs of hybrid vehicles is a good thing.