Batteries for Plug- in Hybrid Electric Vehicles ( PHEVs):
Goals and the State of Technology circa 2008
Jonn Axsen
jaxsen@ ucdavis. edu
Andrew Burke
afburke@ ucdavis. edu
Ken Kurani
knkurani@ ucdavis. edu
Institute of Transportation Studies
University of California
Davis, CA
UCD- ITS- RR- 08- 14
May 2008
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Abstract
This report discusses the development of advanced batteries for plug- in hybrid electric
vehicle ( PHEV) applications. We discuss the basic design concepts of PHEVs, compare
three sets of influential technical goals, and explain the inherent trade- offs in PHEV
battery design. We then discuss the current state of several battery chemistries, including
nickel- metal hydride ( NiMH) and lithium- ion ( Li- Ion), comparing their abilities to meet
PHEV goals, and potential trajectories for further improvement. Four important
conclusions are highlighted. First, PHEV battery “ goals” vary according to differing
assumptions of PHEV design, performance, use patterns and consumer demand. Second,
battery development is constrained by inherent tradeoffs among five main battery
attributes: power, energy, longevity, safety and cost. Third, Li- Ion battery designs are
better suited to meet the demands of more aggressive PHEV goals than the NiMH
batteries currently used for HEVs. Fourth, the flexible nature of Li- Ion technology, as
well as concerns over safety, has prompted several alternate paths of continued
technological development. Due to the differences among these development paths, the
attributes of one type of Li- Ion battery cannot necessarily be generalized to other types.
This paper is not intended to be a definitive analysis of technologies; instead, it is more of
a primer for battery non- experts, providing the perspective and tools to help understand
and critically review research on PHEV batteries.
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Executive Summary
In this report we address the state of battery development for plug- in hybrid electric
vehicles ( PHEVs). This executive summary highlights our fundamental points, avoiding
many of the technological details described in our full report. However, a full reading of
our report is recommend for readers seeking to better understand and critically review
PHEV battery research. A glossary of PHEV terms and acronyms is provided on pages
24- 26.
Basic PHEV Design Concepts: Figure E- 1 portrays the two basic modes of a PHEV:
charge depleting ( CD) and charge sustaining ( CS). For a distance, the “ fully” charged
PHEV is driven in CD mode— energy stored in the battery is used to power the vehicle,
gradually depleting the battery’s state of charge ( SOC). Once the battery is depleted to a
minimum level, the vehicle switches to CS mode, sustaining the battery SOC by relying
primarily on the gasoline engine to drive the vehicle ( like a conventional hybrid electric
vehicle). CD range is the distance a fully charged PHEV can travel in CD mode before
switching to CS mode ( without being plugged in). A PHEV with a CD range of 10 miles
is referred to as a PHEV- 10 ( although notation can differ among reports). In CD mode, a
PHEV can be designed to use grid electricity exclusively ( all- electric) or electricity and
gasoline ( blended). All else equal, a PHEV designed for all- electric operation requires a
more powerful battery than a PHEV designed for blended operation. The CD range and
operation capabilities of a PHEV will depend on the assumed drive cycle, that is, how
aggressively and under what conditions the vehicle is driven.
Figure E- 1: Illustration of Typical PHEV Discharge Cycle
Distance
Battery State of Charge ( SOC)
Charge Sustaining
( CS Mode)
Charge Depleting
( CD Mode)
Gasoline
Only
All Electric or
Blended
Source: Adapted from Kromer and Heywood ( 2007, p31). Used with permission from authors.
Battery Goals: Table E- 1 summarizes PHEV battery goals from three different sources:
The U. S. Advanced Battery Consortium ( USABC), the Sloan Automotive Laboratory at
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MIT, and the Electric Power Research Institute ( EPRI). Battery goals are contingent on
many assumptions, including CD range, CD operation ( all- electric vs. blended), drive
cycle, vehicle mass, battery mass, and other issues. We focus on USABC goals ( Pesaren
et al., 2007), which we compile into 5 main categories: power, energy, life, safety and
cost. For power density, the PHEV- 10 battery target is 830 W/ kg, and the PHEV- 40
target is 380 W/ kg. The corresponding energy density targets are 100 Wh/ kg and 140
Wh/ kg, respectively. Not shown in Table E- 1 are USABC safety goals, which are
determined through abuse testing, and based on a general rating of “ acceptability”.
Targeted battery costs are $ 200-$ 300 per kWh. We note that there are inherent tradeoffs
among these attributes categories: increasing power density requires higher voltage that
reduces longevity and safety and increases cost; increasing energy density tends to reduce
power density; attempts to simultaneously optimize power, energy, longevity, and safety
will increase battery cost.
Table E- 1: Comparing PHEV Assumptions and Battery “ Goals”
Units USABC 1 MIT 2 EPRI 3
Vehicle Assumptions
CD Range Miles 10 40 30 20 60
CD Operation - All-electric
All-electric
Blended All-electric
All-electric
Body Type - Cross.
SUV
Mid.
Car
Mid.
Car
Mid.
Car
Mid.
Car
Total Battery Mass kg 60 120 60 159 302
Total Vehicle Mass kg 1950 1600 1350 1664 1782
Battery “ Goals”
Peak Power kW 50 46 44 54 99
Energy Capacity kWh 6 17 8 6 18
Calendar Life years 15 15 15 10 10
CD Cycle Life cycles 5,000 5,000 2,500 2,400 1,400
CS Cycle Life cycles 300,000 300,000 175,000 < 200,000 < 200,000
Sources:
1 Pesaren et al. ( 2007)
2 Kromer and Heywood ( 2007)
3 Graham et al. ( 2001)
Battery Technologies: We discuss two broad categories of battery chemistries:
nickel- metal hydride ( NiMH) and lithium- ion ( Li- Ion). Figure E- 2 presents Ragone plots
of these chemistries adapted from Kalhammer et al. ( 2007). The light grey bands present
the power and energy capabilities, and tradeoffs, of lead- acid, nickel- cadmium, NiMH,
ZEBRA, and Li- Ion chemistries. Onto Kalhammer et al.’ s Ragone curves we plot
USABC, MIT, and EPRI goals as dark stars. The grey squares represent the performance
of two prototype PHEV batteries tested by Kalhammer et al. ( 2007): one NiMH ( Varta),
and one Li- Ion ( Johnston Controls Saft— JCS). Whereas EPRI’s analysis suggests the
performance goals for an all- electric PHEV- 20 is achievable by current NiMH
technology, the goals of the USABC and MIT are beyond even current Li- Ion technology
capabilities. In any case, Li- Ion battery technologies hold promise for achieving much
higher power and energy density goals, due to lightweight material, potential for high
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and anticipated lower costs relative to NiMH. NiMH batteries could play an
interim role in less demanding blended- mode designs, but it seems likely that falling Li-
Ion battery prices may preclude even this role. However, Li- Ion batteries face drawbacks
in longevity and safety which still need to be addressed for automotive applications.
Figure E- 2: Battery Potential and PHEV “ Goals” ( Ragone Plots)
= Cell “ Goal”
= Actual Cell
EPRI
PHEV- 20
EPRI
PHEV- 60
USABC
PHEV- 10 MIT
PHEV- 30
USABC
PHEV- 40
Varta
NiMH
JCS
Li- Ion
Source: Image of battery chemistry “ Ragone” plots from Kalhammer et al. ( 2007, p25).
Notes: All “ goal” and “ sample” points added by current authors.
Li- Ion Prospects: Li- Ion batteries can be constructed from a wide variety of materials,
allowing battery developers to pursue several different paths. The main Li- Ion cathode
material used for consumer applications ( e. g. laptop computers and cell phones) is
lithium cobalt oxide ( LCO). However, due to safety concerns with using this chemistry
for automotive applications, several alternative chemistries are being testing for PHEVs,
including: lithium nickel, cobalt and aluminum ( NCA), lithium iron phosphate ( LFP),
lithium nickel, cobalt and manganese ( NCM), lithium manganese spinel ( LMS), lithium
titanium ( LTO), and manganese titanium ( MNS and MS). Table E- 2 presents an
illustrative snapshot of several key Li- Ion technologies according to USABC goals. We
use a simple rating scale based on available literature: a rating of poor is far from
reaching USABC goals in that category; a moderate rating shows some promise of
meeting goals with further development; a good rating has shown evidence of being a
good candidate to meet goals; and an excellent holds very strong promise of meeting
USABC goals. Table E- 2 further demonstrates the many inherent tradeoffs in battery
development; a single battery has yet to meet power, energy, life, safety, and cost goals.
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Table E- 2: Illustrative “ Snapshot” of Li- Ion PHEV Battery Chemistries
Name Description Automotive
Status
Power Energy Safety Life Cost
LCO Lithium
cobalt oxide
Limited auto
applications
( due to safety)
Good 4 Good 4 Low 2,4 ,
Mod. 3
Low 2,4 Poor 2,3
NCA Lithium
nickel,
cobalt and
aluminum
Pilot 1 Good 1,3 Good 1,3 Mod. 1 Good 1 Mod. 1,3
LFP Lithium iron
phosphate
Pilot 1 Good 1 Mod. 2,6 Mod. 1,2,4 Good 1,4 Mod. 1 ,
Good 2,3
NCM Lithium
nickel,
cobalt and
manganese
Pilot 3 Mod. 3 Mod. 3 ,
Good 7
Mod. 3 Poor 3 Mod. 3
LMS Lithium
manganese
spinel
Devel. 1 Mod. 2 Poor 1,2,3 Excel. 1 ,
Good 2
Excel. 1
Mod. 6
Mod. 2
LTO Lithium
titanium
Devel. 3 Poor 3 ,
Mod. 7
Poor 3 Good 3 Good 3 Poor 3
MNS Manganese
titanium
Research 1 Good 1 Mod. 1 Excel. 1 Unkwn. Mod. 1
MN Manganese
titanium
Research 1 Excel. 1 Excel. 1 Excel. 1 Unkwn. Mod. 1
Sources:
1 Nelson, Amine and Yomoto ( 2007, p2)
2 Kromer and Heywood ( 2007, p37)
3 Kalhammer et al. ( 2007)
4 Chu ( 2007)
5 Kohler ( 2007)
6 Anderman ( 2007)
7 UC Davis Testing
Conclusions: Four main highlights can be drawn from this discussion:
1. PHEV battery “ goals” are contingent on many assumptions. USABC, MIT and
EPRI goals differ greatly based on CD range, CD operation ( all- electric vs.
blended), drive cycle, vehicle mass, battery mass, and other issues. The “ true”
requirements of PHEV technology will depend on consumers’ driving and
recharging behaviors as well as their valuation of different PHEV designs and
capabilities. In turn, producer and consumer behavior alike can be shaped by
government regulation, e. g., California’s ZEV mandate. Thus, while the USABC
( and others) provides a useful benchmark for the future of PHEV battery
technology, there may be a role for less ambitious PHEV designs, such as those
using blended operation.
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2. Battery development is constrained by inherent tradeoffs among the five main
battery attributes: power, energy, longevity, safety and cost. No battery currently
meets all of the USABC’s PHEV goals for these attributes.
3. Of the chemistries currently being considered for PHEV application, Li- Ion is
best suited for the power and energy density goals of the USABC. Although
NiMH batteries may be suitable for a less ambitious PHEV design may, Li- Ion
technologies are still superior to NiMH in potential for lower cost. However, Li-
Ion is not yet firmly established for automotive applications, and development
must overcome issues of longevity and safety— and the resulting tradeoffs with
performance— in order to achieve commercial success.
4. Li- Ion technology continues to follow multiple paths of development, each using
different electrode materials in efforts to optimize power, energy, safety, life, and
cost performance. We must not generalize the attributes of one battery, e. g.
Toyota’s concerns about safety with its LCO battery, to all Li- Ion batteries. Table
E- 2 shows how these attributes can vary substantially among different
chemistries, and the uncertainty in selecting a single technological “ winner”
among advanced automotive battery chemistries.
In summary, electric- drive interest groups, including researchers, policymakers,
companies, advocates and critics, should be aware of these fundamental battery issues to
facilitate more grounded debates about the present and future of electric- drive vehicles,
including plug- in hybrid vehicles.
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ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... .... I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................... II
1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 1
2.0 BASIC PHEV DESIGN CONCEPTS.................................................................................... 3
3.0 PHEV BATTERY GOALS..................................................................................................... 5
3.1 POWER ............................................................................................................................... ...... 8
3.2 ENERGY CAPACITY .................................................................................................................. 9
3.3 LIFE........................................................................................................................... ............... 9
3.4 SAFETY......................................................................................................................... .......... 11
3.5 COSTS.......................................................................................................................... ........... 11
3.6 SUMMARY OF TRADE- OFFS.................................................................................................... 12
4.0 BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES ............................................................................................ 12
4.1 NICKEL- METAL HYDRIDE ( NIMH)....................................................................................... 14
4.2 LITHIUM- ION ( LI- ION)........................................................................................................... 15
5.0 LI- ION PROSPECTS ........................................................................................................... 16
6.0 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................... 20
7.0 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 22
8.0 ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY......................................................................................... 24
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1.0 Introduction
Electric- drive continues to pique imaginations of motorists: clean skies, quiet cars, and
plentiful electricity produced from non- polluting domestic sources. So where are our
electric automobiles? The answer depends in part on what is an electric automobile. We
have seen variations in electric vehicle ( EV) size, performance, and definition in efforts
to overcome the fundamental challenge of electric drive— how to store energy and supply
power. In short, where are our batteries? In this report we address one variation on the
definition of an electric vehicle and the state of battery development for it— plug- in
hybrid electric vehicles ( PHEVs). 1
Much effort and many resources have been devoted to the development of electric drive
vehicles over the past three decades. These efforts have been spurred by petroleum
supply and price disruptions, air pollution policy, and climate policy. The U. S. federal
government drove initial efforts to develop alternatives to petroleum in the late 1970s and
early 1980s. The oil crisis of 1973- 4 lead to substantial government funding of research
on alternative fuels. Perhaps most important for electric vehicles was the Hybrid and
Electric Vehicle Act of 1976. The Act resulted in long term projects in the Department of
Energy, some of which laid the ground work for the battery, motor, and power and
control electronics technology that emerged during the 1990s ( Turrentine and Kurani,
1995). Battery electric vehicles ( EV) captured renewed attention in the 1990’ s, stimulated
by General Motor’s development of the EV- 1 ( aka Impact) and California’s Zero-
Emissions Vehicle ( ZEV) mandate. After years of further technology development and
policy debate, policymakers were convinced by automobile manufacturers in the late
1990s that battery technology was insufficient to meet manufacturers’ EV design goals.
However, some battery technologies later proved successful in less demanding hybrid-electric
vehicle ( HEV) applications, achieving significant commercial success, typified
by the Toyota Prius. Currently, interest has turned to what many claim is the next logical
step from the HEV: plug- in hybrid electric vehicles ( PHEVs). For example, the
California Air Resources Board amended the ZEV mandate in March of 2008 to provide
incentives for automakers to produce and sell PHEVs ( CARB, 2008a).
Relative to other electric- drive and conventional gasoline vehicles, one advantage of
PHEVs is fuel flexibility. A user could power their vehicle with electricity from the
electrical power grid, gasoline ( or another liquid fuel), or both. To do so, a PHEV has
both an electric motor and a heat engine— usually an internal combustion engine ( ICE). 2
This flexibility also complicates vehicle designs and possible ways of using energy from
two different systems. Figure 1 shows two simple schematics of possible PHEV
architectures, the overall design of the PHEV system to supply power from two different
sources. A series drivetrain architecture powers the vehicle only by an electric motor
using electricity from a battery. The battery is charged from an electrical outlet, or by the
gasoline engine via a generator. A parallel drivetrain adds a direct connection between
the engine and the wheels, adding the potential to power the vehicle by electricity and
1 A list of acronyms and glossary is provided in Section 8 ( pages 24- 26).
2 As the ICE in most conventional vehicles is fueled with gasoline ( or diesel), we will refer to gasoline and
gasoline engines without precluding the possibility of different future fuels.
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gasoline simultaneously and by gasoline only. While Toyota is currently developing a
PHEV with a parallel architecture, i. e. a plug- in version of the Prius, General Motors is
working with a series architecture, i. e. the Chevy Volt.
Figure 1: Basic PHEV Drivetrain – Series vs. Parallel Design
Series
ENGINE
MOTOR
GENERATOR
ELECTRICAL
OUTLET
GASOLINE
Battery
Parallel
MOTOR
GEN.
ELECTRICAL
OUTLET
GASOLINE
Battery
ENGINE
In any PHEV architecture the battery plays a crucial role in storing energy from the
electrical grid and from the gasoline engine ( through a generator), as well as passing
energy back and forth with the electric motor to maximize efficiency. 3 “ Pure” EVs only
have an electric motor and only run on electricity and thus need batteries that can store
large amounts of energy and deliver high power. However, PHEVs can be designed to
emphasize energy or power requirements ( or both) of batteries.
Ultimately, the commercial success of the PHEV depends on the development of
appropriate battery technologies. There is much uncertainty about what exact
requirements a battery must meet to produce a successful PHEV and where different
battery technologies stand in meeting such requirements. On the one hand, electric drive
advocates claim that battery technology is sufficient to begin the commercial introduction
of PHEVs immediately ( e. g. Calcars, 2008) or as early as 2010 ( EPRI, 2007). On the
other hand, critics counter that substantial technological breakthroughs are required
before PHEVs should be introduced to the market ( e. g. Kromer and Heywood, 2007).
Anderman ( 2008) states that commercialization prior to 2015 would present substantial
business risk. Also, as the difference in initial PHEV architectures between automakers
shows, there is disagreement on what a PHEV is, or if the concept is flexible enough and
3 During braking and coasting, an electric motor can convert— or, regenerate— some of the kinetic energy
of the moving vehicle into electrical energy to be stored in the vehicle’s battery.
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the market diverse enough to support multiple incarnations. For their part, policymakers
are unsure how to regulate PHEV emissions and “ fuel” use under conditions of such
technical and market uncertainty.
This report intends to help demystify some of the complexities of PHEV battery
development. We discuss the basic design concepts of PHEVs, compare three sets of
influential technical goals, and explain the inherent trade- offs in PHEV battery design.
We then discuss the current state of several battery chemistries, comparing their abilities
to meet PHEV goals, and their potential trajectories for further improvement. Four
important conclusions are highlighted. First, PHEV battery “ goals” vary according to
differing assumptions of PHEV design, performance, use patterns and consumer demand.
Second, battery development is constrained by inherent tradeoffs among five main
battery attributes: power, energy, longevity, safety and cost. Third, lithium- ion ( Li- Ion)
battery designs are better suited to meet the demands of more aggressive PHEV goals
than nickel- metal hydride ( NiMH) batteries ( currently used for HEVs). Fourth, the
flexible nature of Li- Ion technology, as well as concerns over safety, has prompted
several alternate paths of continued technological development. Due to the differences
among these development paths, the attributes of one type of Li- Ion battery cannot
necessarily be generalized to other types.
This paper is not intended to be a definitive analysis of technologies; instead, it is more of
a primer for battery non- experts, providing the perspective and tools to help understand
and critically review research on PHEV batteries.
2.0 Basic PHEV Design Concepts
Before delving into specific technological goals, we first explain four fundamental PHEV
concepts. First, for any given architecture, a PHEV can operate in one of two modes:
charge sustaining ( CS) or charge depleting ( CD). Figure 2 ( adapted from Kromer and
Heywood, 2007, p31) illustrates these two modes. The vertical axis is the battery’s state
of charge ( SOC), ranging from 0 percent to 100 percent; the horizontal axis is the
distance traveled. In practice, the maximum SOC may be limited to less than 100 percent,
and the minimum SOC constrained to more than 0 percent, both to preserve battery life
and improve safety. The difference between the maximum and minimum SOC is known
as the usable depth of discharge ( DOD), which varies across battery and vehicle designs.
In the Figure 2 example, the battery is “ fully” charged ( from an electrical outlet) to 90
percent SOC at the beginning of the cycle. For a distance the PHEV is driven in CD
mode— energy stored in the battery is used to power the vehicle, gradually depleting the
battery’s SOC. Once the battery is depleted to a minimum level, set at around 25 percent
in this example, the vehicle switches to CS mode. In CS mode the SOC is sustained by
relying primarily on the gasoline engine to drive the vehicle, using the battery and
electric motor to increase the efficiency of the gasoline engine, as is now done in an
HEV. Small cycles, or “ waves,” can be seen in the SOC during CS operation, where the
battery takes on energy from the engine driven generator or from regenerative braking
and uses the energy in the electric motor to improve the efficiency of engine operation.
The vehicle remains in CS mode until the battery is plugged in again to recharge. The
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distance a fully charged PHEV can travel in CD mode before switching to CS mode is
called CD range.
Figure 2: Illustration of Typical PHEV Discharge Cycle ( 65% DOD)
Distance
Battery State of Charge ( SOC)
Charge Sustaining
( CS Mode)
Charge Depleting
( CD Mode)
Gasoline
Only
All Electric or
Blended
Source: Adapted from Kromer and Heywood ( 2007, p31). Used with permission from authors.
A second key PHEV concept is that a vehicle can be designed for all- electric or blended
operation in CD mode. A PHEV designed for all- electric operation can be driven for the
CD range using only electricity from the battery, and the engine is not used at all. In
contrast, a PHEV designed for blended operation will use electricity and gasoline to
power the vehicle during the CD range— energy from the engine and the battery are
“ blended” together through the electro- mechanical drivetrain. Thus, a PHEV designed for
all- electric driving will require a battery capable of delivering more power than a PHEV
designed for blended driving ( as further detailed later) because the battery ( and motor and
power electronics) must be capable of providing the full power of the vehicle, not just
partial power.
Third, PHEV designs are commonly described according to CD range; the common
notation is PHEV- X, where X is the distance in miles. For instance, a PHEV- 10 can be
driven 10 miles in CD mode before switching to CS mode. However, this notation does
not distinguish whether a PHEV in CD mode is operating all- electrically or using
blending, nor does it specify the driving conditions that would allow CD operation for the
stipulated distance. Comparisons of PHEVs, even those sharing the same PHEV- X
designation, must reconcile assumptions regarding CD operation and driving behavior.
Kurani, Heffner and Turrentine ( 2007) discuss how further confusion in PHEV notation
can result from two differing concepts of PHEV- X. First, Gondor and Simpson ( 2007)
argue that X should be defined as the equivalent number of miles of petroleum displaced
by electricity from the battery. This approach makes no distinction between all- electric
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and blended operation; a fully charged PHEV- 10 could store and use enough electricity
to reduce gasoline use by the amount of gasoline required to travel 10 miles, but not
necessarily during the first 10 miles. On the other hand, the California Air Resources
Board ( CARB, 2003) defines X as the total miles that can be driven before the gasoline
engine turns on for the first time, also known as all- electric range ( or zero- emissions
range). 4 By this definition, a fully charged PHEV- 10 could be driven for the first 10 miles
without using any petroleum. CARB’s definition requires a more powerful electric motor
and battery to avoid engine use during CD mode. Again, these distinctions must be
clarified when discussing the battery requirements of a particular PHEV design. In our
use of PHEV- X notation in this paper, the X refers to the CD range of the vehicle, and we
will specify between assumptions of all- electric or blended operation.
A final point of clarification for PHEV design and notation is the assumed drive cycle
used to estimate CD operation and CD range. A drive cycle is a pattern of changing
accelerations, speeds, and braking over time used to test fuel economy, as well as battery
performance. A cycle usually repeats one or more schedules designed by the U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA). The Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule
( UDDS) is most common, established by the EPA to simulate city driving conditions.
This schedule includes many accelerations and decelerations over a 23 minute period,
with an average speed of 20 miles per hour. The federal highway schedule ( HWFET) is
typically used to simulate highway driving. Both the UDDS and HWFET have been
criticized for not accurately representing the aggressive nature of U. S. drivers ( Kromer
and Heywood, 2007), and thus PHEV battery goals based on such schedules may
overestimate the electric drive capabilities of a given battery. For instance, if an all-electric
PHEV- 20 is designed using the UDDS, a more aggressive driving cycle will
shorten the CD range, or require engine assistance ( blending) during CD mode to achieve
the specified range, or both. Thus, in comparing different battery goals, readers must
consider drive cycle assumptions, and assess how representative such assumption may be
of actual driving behavior.
3.0 PHEV Battery Goals
The battery requirements of any given PHEV design are primarily determined by peak
power ( kW) and energy storage ( kWh). As noted, both are dependent on assumptions
about CD range, CD operation mode, i. e. all- electric or blended, drive cycle, vehicle
design, recharge behavior, and other factors.
In this section we present the PHEV battery goals set by the US Advanced Battery
Consortium ( USABC), as summarized by Pesaran et al. ( 2007). 5 Table 1 provides a
summary that will be referred to throughout this paper. We focus on USABC goals
because these are the most recent and among the most influential goals. Pesaran et al.
( 2007) specify two main PHEV battery types: a high power/ energy ratio battery
4 As of the writing of this report, CARB is considering a proposal to allow PHEVs designed for blended
operation to receive credits under the zero emissions vehicle regulation ( CARB, 2008b). The USABC’s
goals were, in part, set to meet CARB’s all- electric PHEV requirements, and do not consider the possibility
of blended options ( Pesaren et al., 2007).
5 The USABC is a partnership between the US Department of Energy ( DOE) and US auto companies.
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providing 10 miles of all- electric range ( PHEV- 10), and a low power/ energy ratio battery
providing 40 miles of all- electric range ( PHEV- 40). These categories follow CARB’s
definition of PHEV- X, where X is the number of miles the vehicle can drive in all- electric
mode during a particular drive cycle, before the gasoline engine turns on. Pesaren et al.
( 2007) used the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule ( UDDS) to be consistent with
CARB’s testing methods. The USABC PHEV- 10 goals are set for a “ crossover utility
vehicle” ( an automobile- based SUV) weighing 1950 kg and the PHEV- 40 goals are set
for a midsize sedan weighing 1600 kg. The “ basic” assumptions in Table 1 specify
weight and volume limits of the battery system. We discuss the five groups of goals
below: power, energy capacity, life, safety, and cost ( as summarized by Pesaran et al,
2007).
Table 1: USABC Goals for Advanced PHEV Batteries
Units
PHEV- 10
( High Power to
Energy Ratio)
PHEV- 40
( Low Power to
Energy Ratio)
1) Basic Assumptions
Body Type - Crossover
SUV
Midsize
Car
All Electric Range miles 10 40
Max System Mass kg 60 120
Max System Volume L 40 80
2) Power
Peak Power ( 2 sec / 10 sec pulse) kW 50 / 45 46 / 38
Power Density ( 2 sec / 10 sec pulse) W/ kg 830 / 750 380 / 320
3) Energy Capacity
Available Energy kWh 4 12
Total Energy (@ 70% DOD) kWh 6 17
Total Energy Density Wh/ kg 95 140
4) Life
Calendar Life years 15 15
Deep Discharge Cycles ( CD mode) cycles 5,000 5,000
Shallow Discharge Cycles ( CS mode) cycles 300,000 300,000
Temperature Range ° C - 46 to + 66 - 46 to + 66
5) Safety
Abuse Tests - Acceptable Acceptable
6) Cost
OEM Price @ 100,00 units/ year $ $ 1,700 $ 3,400
OEM Price/ Total kWh $/ kWh $ 300 $ 200
Source: Compiled from Pesaran et al. ( 2007, p13)
Because USABC goals are highly dependent on various assumptions, we also present
alternative analyses conducted by the Sloan Automotive Laboratory at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology ( MIT), and the Electric Power Research Institute ( EPRI). Table 2
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summarizes the differing assumptions and “ goals” of each. The term goal refers to the
intended direction of long- term development for industry, as provided by the USABC.
MIT and EPRI provide more neutral analyses of battery requirements, not necessarily
setting goals. We refer to standards from all three studies as “ goals” for the remainder of
this paper for the sake of simplicity. Some of the assumption categories in Table 2 have
been explained above; other assumptions and goals are addressed below.
Table 2: Comparing PHEV Assumptions and Battery “ Goals”
Units USABC 1 MIT 2 EPRI 3
Vehicle Assumptions
CD Range Miles 10 40 30 20 60
CD Operation - All-electric
All-electric
Blended All-electric
All-electric
Electricity Use 4 kWh/ mile 0.42 0.30 0.19 0.24 0.24
Depth of Discharge Percent 70% 70% 70% 80% 80%
Drive Cycle - UDDS UDDS UDDS,
HFWET,
US06
UDDS,
HFWET
UDDS,
HFWET
Body Type - Cross.
SUV
Mid.
Car
Mid.
Car
Mid.
Car
Mid.
Car
Battery Mass, Total
( Cells Only) 5
kg 60
( 45)
120
( 90)
60
( 45)
159
( 121)
302
( 252)
Total Vehicle Mass kg 1950 1600 1350 1664 1782
Battery “ Goals”
Peak Power kW 50 46 44 54 99
Peak Power Density W/ kg 830 380 730 340 330
Total Energy Capacity kWh 6 17 8 6 18
Total Energy Density Wh/ kg 100 140 130 40 60
Calendar Life years 15 15 15 10 10
CD Cycle Life cycles 5,000 5,000 2,500 2,400 1,400
CS Cycle Life cycles 300,000 300,000 175,000 < 200,000 < 200,000
Sources:
1 Pesaren et al. ( 2007)
2 Kromer and Heywood ( 2007)
3 Graham et al. ( 2001)
4 Grid electricity only -- calculated as total available energy capacity divided by CD range
5 Packaging factor of 0.75 assumed for “ cells only” mass ( except EPRI— both values were supplied)
The MIT goals are derived from Kromer and Heywood ( 2007), who used vehicle
assumptions that differed from USABC in two important ways. First, Kromer and
Heywood ( 2007) set goals for a midsize sedan PHEV with 30 miles of CD range in
blended mode. As a useful side note, Kromer and Heywood illustrate the differences in
PHEV goals for different levels of blending versus all- electric operation. Second, in
addition to the UDDS used by the USABC, Kromer and Heywood ( 2007) used the
HWFET schedule as well as the US06 schedule, the latter of which is the most aggressive
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due to longer accelerations and higher top speeds. They explain that this combination of
schedules produces a drive cycle that is more representative of actual U. S. driving
behavior than the UDDS or HWFET schedules alone, thus allowing more realistic ( and
stringent) battery goals. Although such a drive cycle requires higher battery performance
than USABC’s goals, this is largely offset by their assumptions of CD blending, and a
lower vehicle weight. EPRI’s goals are derived from a report conducted by Graham et al.
( 2001), investigating the power requirements of a midsize sedan PHEV with 20 or 60
miles of all- electric range. 6 Graham et al.’ s drive cycle includes the UDDS and HWFET.
The primary distinguishing factor of EPRI goals is the higher battery weight assumptions
( 159- 302 kg) compared to USABC and MIT ( 60- 120 kg).
3.1 Power
Power is rate of energy transfer; it is measured in watts or more typically for automotive
applications, kilowatts ( kW). The power of a conventional gasoline vehicle is typically
reported in horsepower, where 100 horsepower is equivalent to 75 kW. For batteries,
power is akin to the rate at which gasoline can be delivered to the engine— to accelerate
faster you have to be able to draw energy out of the battery or deliver gasoline to the
engine more quickly. However, the performance of conventional vehicles is not limited
by rate of gasoline delivery, whereas in electric- drive vehicles, power delivery from the
battery is critical. The USABC’s peak power goals are based on short accelerations
( pulses) of 2 and 10 seconds. According to Pesaran et al. ( 2007), the PHEV- 10 requires
the ability to provide 50 kW of power ( 67 horsepower), while the PHEV- 40 requires 46
kW. Power requirements are not typically related to CD range; the PHEV- 10 requires
slightly more power due to the increased weight (+ 350 kg), rolling resistance, and frontal
area ( drag) of the crossover SUV compared to the sedan used for the PHEV- 40 analysis.
For comparison, Kromer and Heywood ( 2007) demonstrate how different types of
operation in CD mode can influence power requirements for a PHEV- 30. While different
levels of blended operation require only 23 to 40 kW of power, a PHEV with all- electric
operation requires a battery that can deliver 60 kW ( Kromer and Heywood, 2007). The
latter value is higher than USABC goals due to Kromer and Heywood’s use of more
ambitious drive cycles, i. e., HFWET and US06 in addition to the UDDS. In contrast,
EPRI’s all- electric PHEV- 20 requires 54 kW— likely higher than USABC due to the
additional use of the HFWET cycle. EPRI’s PHEV- 60 goal is much higher— 99 kW— in
order to optimize overall performance by taking advantage of the heavy battery ( 302 kg)
to allow the battery to replace the engine even in aggressive cycles ( note that power
density is about the same as for EPRI’s PHEV- 20).
In comparing battery technologies, analysts typically refer to power density as the power
per kilogram of the battery system ( W/ kg). The USABC’s target weight for the PHEV- 40
battery pack is 120 kg, resulting in a power density of 380 W/ kg. The target weight for
the PHEV- 10 battery pack is 60 kg, resulting in a power density of 830 W/ kg— more than
double the PHEV- 40 density. In this sense, the power goals of the USABC’s all- electric
6 EPRI also estimated PHEV requirements for compact cars and sport utility vehicles ( Duvall et al., 2002).
- 9-
PHEV- 10 are more challenging than the all- electric PHEV- 40. 7 Of course, these power
density goals could be significantly reduced for a blended PHEV design, as noted by
Kromer and Heywood, 2007, or by allowing a heavier battery, e. g., EPRI’s goals.
3.2 Energy Capacity
Energy capacity goals relate to the amount of energy stored in the batteries and the
batteries’ energy density; they determine the distance that can be traveled in CD mode
and the mass of the battery system. Energy capacity is typically measured in kilowatt-hours
( kWh), where 1 kWh = 1,000 Watts provided for 1 hour. In Table 1, an important
distinction is made between available and total energy. While a battery may have 10
kWh of total energy, only a portion of this capacity is available for vehicle operations.
As described in the previous section, and shown in Figure 2, a “ fully” charged battery
may be at less than 100 percent SOC, and it may be regarded as “ depleted” at something
more than 0 percent SOC, say 25 percent. This range of operation in practice is called the
usable depth of discharge ( DOD); DOD is 65 percent in the example in the previous
sentence but varies across battery and vehicle designs. A battery with 10 kWh of total
energy operating with a 65 percent DOD would have only 6.5 kWh of available energy.
The USABC values in Table 1 assume a 70 percent DOD, meaning that the total energy
goal required for each battery is 43 percent higher than the required available energy.
The USABC’s PHEV- 10 requires about 4 kWh of available energy, while the PHEV- 40
requires 12 kWh. With a 70 percent DOD, these values correspond to battery systems
storing total energy of 5.7 and 17 kWh, respectively. Graham et al. ( 2001) and Kromer
and Heywood ( 2007) estimate similar requirements of available energy for the PHEV
designs they analyze, indicating that estimates of energy capacity requirements are not as
sensitive to differences in assumption ( other than range in CD mode) as are power
requirements. A common metric of battery energy is energy density, measured as the
total Wh per kilogram of the battery system. The USABC’s energy density goals are 100
Wh/ kg for the PHEV- 10, and 140 Wh/ kg for the PHEV- 40. MIT’s goal is within this
range ( 130 Wh/ kg), while EPRI’s goals are much lower ( 40- 60 Wh/ kg)— the latter
difference is again largely due to the much heavier battery mass.
3.3 Life
With use and over time, battery performance can substantially degrade, including power,
energy capacity, and safety. Table 1 portrays four key measures of battery longevity.
First, calendar life is the ability of the battery to withstand degradation over time, which
may be independent of how much or how hard the battery is used. The USABC goal for
batteries for both vehicles is 15 years at a temperature of 35 ° C, where exposure to hotter
temperatures can accelerate degradation. MIT also targets 15 years of calendar life. EPRI
uses a less ambitious target of 10 years, which they cite as being consistent with previous
7 Conceptually, it is possible to combine multiple electricity storage technologies in a single vehicle, for
example batteries with good energy characteristics could be combined with ultracapacitors with good
power characteristics. So a PHEV- 10 could use batteries primarily to provide energy and ultracapacitors to
provide short bursts of power. This possibility is not discussed further in this report.
- 10-
studies, but also consider a 15 year life. 8 Also note that all of the USABC goals are set for
the battery’s end of life. In other words, the power and energy goals described in the
sections above must apply after 15 years of life regardless of use. If these attributes are
expected to degrade over time and/ or use, initial values will have to be even higher than
the stated goals.
Second, deep cycle life is the number of discharge- recharge cycles the battery can
perform in CD mode. For example, Figure 2 portrays one complete deep discharge,
starting at 90 percent SOC, ending at 25 percent SOC; recharging back to 90 percent
SOC would complete one full cycle. The USABC’s battery goal is 5,000 deep cycles.
This goal assumes one complete deep cycle each day, 330 days of the year, for the 15
year life span of the vehicle. Other studies set less ambitious targets; MIT states 2,500
deep cycles for a PHEV- 30, and EPRI states 2,400 and 1,400 deep cycles for the PHEV-
20 and PHEV- 60, respectively. EPRI’s target is lower due to the assumption of shorter
life ( 10 years), whereas Kromer and Heywood’s target is based on different assumptions
about recharge behavior. One might also consider potential differences in deep cycle
goals between different PHEV designs. For example, Kromer and Heywood ( 2007) note
that because the charge of a PHEV- 10 will be expended more quickly than that of a
PHEV- 30, the PHEV- 10 will likely undergo more deep discharge cycles ( 3200) than the
PHEV- 30 ( 2500). In considering the USABC goals, a PHEV- 40 may require fewer deep
cycles than a comparable PHEV- 10 during the same calendar life.
Third, shallow cycles refer to SOC variations of only a few percent. These smaller
variations occur throughout CD and CS mode, as portrayed in Figure 2. The battery
frequently takes in electric energy from the gasoline engine via a generator and from
regenerative braking, and passes energy to the electric motor as needed to power the
vehicle. These frequent shallow cycles cause less degradation than deep cycles, but still
affect longevity. The USABC longevity target is 300,000 shallow cycles for both PHEV
designs, again much higher than the 175,000 set by MIT, or the 200,000 set by EPRI.
Although this range of targets ( 200,000- 300,000) is achievable by current hybrid electric
vehicles ( HEVs), in a PHEV most of the shallow cycles would likely occur at a relatively
low SOC ( e. g. 25 percent), which can cause relatively more wear on the battery. Thus,
USABC goals to produce both 5,000 deep discharge cycles and 300,000 shallow cycles at
a low SOC presents a formidable challenge for battery manufacturers.
Fourth, survival temperature range is the range of temperatures the battery can be
subjected to while not in operation, neither charging nor discharging. The USABC target
range is - 46° C to + 66° C, which more than covers natural conditions of the continental
US. Most studies do not address temperature effects on battery operation, particularly
cold climate effects. We do not further address temperature issues in this paper, but
readers should keep in mind the potential importance of this factor.
8 Because passenger vehicles typically last longer than 10 years, a battery with this calendar life would have
to be replaced during vehicle life. Such a constraint could substantially add to consumer costs. Graham et
al. ( 2001) estimate that battery replacement costs could range from $ 2,000- 7,000 ( with salvage value).
- 11-
3.4 Safety
Safety is another important factor because batteries store energy and contain chemicals
that can be dangerous if discharged in an uncontrolled manner, such as through short
circuits, impacts, overcharging, or high heat ( Kalhammer et al., 2007). 9 Public perception
of battery safety for automotive application is an especially large concern after millions
of laptop computer batteries were recalled in 2005- 2006 due to fire hazard ( e. g. Fahey,
2006). However, in automotive applications, batteries use battery management units that
provide a higher degree of safety than typical consumer applications, i. e. monitoring cell
voltage and temperature, and taking corrective action when necessary. As discussed in
the following sections, battery safety depends on battery chemistry, design, and
manufacturing quality control.
The USABC’s battery goals do not include specific safety objectives, although safety is
implied in goals of longevity and operation temperature. Safety is typically measured
through abuse tolerance tests. Doughty and Crafts ( 2005) outline several abuse tests to be
performed on batteries, including mechanical crushing, perforation, external short circuit,
overcharging, overheating, fuel fire immersion and water immersion. In each test, the
battery’s response is recorded and assessed in regards to longevity and threats to personal
safety. Doughty and Crafts ( 2005) state that the magnitude of the response, e. g. mild or
catastrophic, should be considered in light of the likelihood of the abuse condition to
occur in normal operation. For example, Kalhammer et al. ( 2007, p35) outline the results
of such abuse tests on one particular battery, where responses range from “ no event” to
“ smoke ( venting)” or “ flame ( low rate combustion).” However, the overall rating of
battery safety appears to be subjective, where Doughty and Crafts ( 2005, p9) suggest that
the abuse tests they outline can be used to help determine what is “ acceptable.” Thus, we
portray the USABC’s safety goal in Table 1 as one of “ acceptability,” where the literature
does not provide quantitative measures appropriate for this report.
3.5 Costs
Battery cost is thought to be one of the most crucial factors affecting the commercial
deployment of electric drive technologies ( Kalhammer et al., 2007). The USABC cost
goals are $ 1,700 and $ 3,400 for the PHEV- 10 and PHEV- 40 battery packs, respectively,
under a scenario where battery production has reached 100,000 units per year ( Pesaran et
al. 2007). These goals are stated as costs to the original equipment manufacturers
( OEMs), and do not include the markup that would be passed on to consumers. 10 To
facilitate comparison, battery cost is commonly measured in dollars per total kWh ( not
just available kWh), which equates to $ 300/ kWh for the PHEV- 10 and $ 200/ kWh for the
PHEV- 40. In the MIT analysis, a value of $ 320/ kWh is assumed to be required for the
commercialization of a PHEV- 30. In either analysis, these cost targets are much lower
9 We note that automotive consumers have become habituated to handling toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic,
and highly flammable fuels, i. e., gasoline and diesel. This is not to diminish the safety challenges of
batteries, but to note that so far as we know, they are challenges, not insurmountable barriers.
10 Estimates of the markup on advanced automotive batteries from OEM to consumer range from 25- 33%
( Kromer and Heywood, 2007).
- 12-
than current prices; Pesaran et al. ( 2007) estimate that in general, current advanced
battery costs range from $ 800/ kWh to $ 1000/ kWh or higher.
3.6 Summary of Trade- offs
In summary, this section has described the five main attributes considered by the USABC
for PHEV batteries: power, energy capacity, life, safety, and cost. Specific goals used by
other analysts for each attribute differ from the USABC, depending on assumptions about
PHEV design, drive cycle, vehicle and battery weight, and recharge behavior. We have
chosen to focus on the USABC targets detailed by Pesaran et al. ( 2007). These goals are
more demanding than most studies, largely due to the stated target of 10 and 40 miles of
all- electric range ( with no gasoline use), and restricted battery weight. Many of these
goals would be decreased for less demanding PHEV drivetrain specifications, such as the
use of blended operation in CD mode.
There are inherent trade- offs among the attributes discussed above. The USABC presents
a combination of goals for battery developers to work towards. Some existing battery
technologies can achieve some of these goals. However, meeting all goals simultaneously
is far more challenging. For example, higher power, i. e., for USABC’s PHEV- 10, can be
achieved through the use of thinner electrodes. However, these designs tend to reduce
cycle life and safety, while increasing material and manufacturing costs. In contrast, high
energy batteries, i. e., for USABC’s PHEV- 40, use thicker electrodes that increase safety
and life, but reduce power density. Thus, it can be very difficult to meet ambitious targets
for both power and energy density in the same battery technology, let alone also meeting
the additional considerations of longevity, safety, and cost. Understanding these trade-offs
is key to understanding the complexities and challenges of PHEV battery
development. Next, we discuss the current state of battery technologies vis- vis USABC’s
PHEV goals.
4.0 Battery Technologies
In this section we discuss two broad categories of battery chemistries: nickel- metal
hydride ( NiMH) and lithium- ion ( Li- Ion). These and several other battery chemistries are
compared in Figure 3 using Ragone plots modified from Kalhammer et al. ( 2007, p25). A
Ragone plot represents the trade- offs between power density and energy density for a
given battery chemistry. Power density ( W/ kg) is plotted on the vertical axis on a
logarithmic scale. Energy density ( Wh/ kg) is presented on the horizontal axis for a
specified discharge rate, say C/ 1 ( complete discharge over 1 hour). The light grey bands
present the present power and energy capabilities of lead- acid, nickel- cadmium, NiMH,
ZEBRA, and Li- Ion chemistries. The curves represent the trade- offs inherent in designing
batteries for high energy or high power applications. Onto Kalhammer et al.’ s Ragone
curves we have plotted USABC, MIT, and EPRI goals presented in the previous section
( dark stars). The grey squares represent the performance of two prototype PHEV batteries
tested by Kalhammer et al. ( 2007): one NiMH ( Varta), and one Li- Ion ( Johnston Controls
Saft— JCS).
To understand Figure 3, we must make an important distinction between the performance
attributes of a battery pack and an individual cell. The PHEV goals discussed in Section 3
- 13-
( USABC, MIT, and EPRI) were reported for a battery pack. However, the values
represented by the grey bands in Figure 3 are for an individual battery cell ( which is
common practice for Ragone plots). The battery pack ( or system) designed for a
particular PHEV consists of many individual battery cells, plus a cooling system, inter-cell
connectors, cell monitoring devices and safety circuits. The added weight and
volume of the additional components reduce energy and power density of the pack
relative to the cell. In addition, the inter- cell connectors and safety circuits of a battery
pack can significantly increase resistance, decreasing the power rating from that
achievable by a single cell. Thus, when applying cell- based ratings to a battery pack, and
vice versa, a packaging factor conversion must be applied. The packaging factor for
energy density is the ratio between the combined weights of the cells to the weight of the
entire battery pack. This factor varies across battery designs in the range of 0.6 to 0.8.
There is typically a larger reduction for power density— and thus a smaller packaging
factor— than energy density due to added resistance, in addition to the added weight.
Figure 3: Battery Cell Potential and PHEV “ Goals” ( Ragone Plots)
= Cell “ Goal”
= Pack “ Goal”
= Sample Cell
= Sample Pack
EPRI
PHEV- 20
EPRI
PHEV- 60
USABC
PHEV- 10 MIT
PHEV- 30
USABC
PHEV- 40
Varta
NiMH
JCS
Li- Ion
Source: Image of battery chemistry “ Ragone” plots from Kalhammer et al. ( 2007, p25).
Notes: All “ goal” and “ sample” points added by current authors. Goals are from Table 2, sample data is
from Table 3. Packaging factor assumed to be 0.75, except JCS Li- Ion points, which is actual data
from Kalhammer et al. ( 2007, p29).
For illustration, see the grey circle and square representing JCS’s Li- Ion PHEV battery in
Figure 3. A single cell has an energy density of 136 Wh/ kg ( grey square), while the entire
battery pack has 94 Wh/ kg ( grey circle), yielding a packaging factor of 0.69. Similarly,
- 14-
the cell’s power density of 794 W/ kg is reduced to 540 W/ kg for the pack, yielding a
packaging factor of 0.68. To further emphasize the importance of this conversion, each
battery goal in Figure 3 is reported as both pack level estimates ( white stars) and cell
level estimate ( black stars), linked by an arrow. We assume an optimistic packaging
factor of 0.75 for each conversion. Only the cell estimates ( black stars) should be
compared with the grey chemistry bands in Figure 3. Although we have taken efforts to
clarify these distinctions, readers are cautioned that in much of the battery literature, cell
and pack level values are not clearly distinguished.
The various PHEV goals in Figure 3 illustrate the implications for differing vehicle
assumptions on battery performance goals— and resulting conclusions about chemistry
capabilities. Whereas EPRI’s analysis suggests the performance goals for an all- electric
PHEV- 20 is achievable by current NiMH technology, the goals of the USABC and MIT
are beyond even current Li- Ion technology capabilities. In any case, it is clear that lead-acid,
nickel- Cadmium ( Ni- Cd) and sodium- nickel chloride ( ZEBRA) technologies are not
likely to achieve goals for even the less ambitious PHEVs. In contrast, Li- Ion battery
technologies hold promise for achieving much higher power and energy density goals.
Thus, it appears that while NiMH could be used for lower performance PHEV designs
( e. g. blended operation with lower CD range), only a chemistry with the energy and
power density capabilities of Li- Ion can meet USABC goals for PHEVs with all- electric
range. NiMH and Li- Ion chemistries are further described next.
4.1 Nickel- Metal Hydride ( NiMH)
NiMH batteries are used for most HEVs currently sold in the US. The primary advantage
of this chemistry is its proven longevity in calendar and cycle life, and overall history of
safety ( Kalhammer et al., 2007). However, the primary drawbacks of NiMH are
limitations in energy and power density, and low prospects for future cost reductions
( Anderman, 2008). For illustration, Table 2 presents the attributes of one NiMH PHEV
battery manufactured by Varta, as presented by Kalhammer et al. ( 2007, p38). 11 The
Varta battery pack falls far short of the power density goals for USABC’s PHEV- 10 ( 15
versus 50 kW), as well as the available energy density goals of USABC’s PHEV- 40 ( 5.4
versus 9.0 kWh).
Although Table 2 only provides an illustrative snapshot of one NiMH battery technology,
it does demonstrate power and energy limitations. More importantly, battery researchers
generally report that because NiMH battery technology is reaching productive maturity,
there is relatively little room for further improvement ( Kalhammer et al., 2007; Kromer
and Heywood, 2007; Anderman, 2008). Not only are energy and power densities unlikely
to improve much further ( due to limitations shown in Figure 3), but NiMH costs are not
expected to drop much further with increased production. Kalhammer et al. ( 2007)
estimate that at 100,000 units of production per year, NiMH battery prices may fall as
11 The reported Varta battery weighs 35 kg. To facilitate comparison to USABC goals, we scaled the power
and energy density values up to 60 kg ( equivalent to USABC’s PHEV- 10 weight goal) and 120 kg
( equivalent to USABC’s PHEV- 40 weight goal). For example, the reported energy density of the 35kg
Varta battery pack ( 57 Wh/ kg) was applied directly to a hypothetical 60 kg version of the battery, with total
energy capacity of ( 0.057 kWh/ kg)*( 60 kg) = 3.4 kWh.
- 15-
low as $ 530/ kWh for a PHEV- 10 and $ 350/ kWh for a PHEV- 40. These forecasts are far
from reaching USABC’s goals of $ 300/ kWh and $ 200/ kWh, respectively.
4.2 Lithium- Ion ( Li- Ion)
In contrast to NiMH, Li- Ion technology has the potential to meet the requirements of a
broader variety of PHEVs. Lithium is said to be very attractive for high energy batteries
due to its lightweight nature and potential for high voltage, allowing Li- Ion batteries to
have higher power and energy density than NiMH batteries ( Kromer and Heywood,
2007). Table 2 illustrates the relative advantage of Li- Ion chemistry using a PHEV
battery manufactured by JCS, as presented by Kalhammer et al. ( 2007, p29). 12 While still
falling short of the ambitious power targets of the USABC’s PHEV- 10, and the energy
targets of the PHEV- 40, the JCS Li- Ion battery has more than double the power density
and more than 50 percent greater energy density than the Varta NiMH battery.
Table 3: Illustration of NiMH Vs. Li- Ion PHEV Battery Technologies ( Pack)
PHEV- 10 PHEV- 40
Units USABC
Goals
Varta 1
Ni- MH
JCS 2
Li- Ion
USABC
Goals
Varta 1
Ni- MH
JCS 2
Li- Ion
1) Basic
Chemistry type -- NiMH Li- Ion -- NiMH Li- Ion
Total Weight kg 60 60 60 120 120 120
2) Power
Peak Power kW 50 15 32 46 30 65
Power Density W/ kg 830 250 540 380 250 540
3) Energy Capacity
Available Energy kWh 3.9 2.7 4.5 12 5.4 9.0
Total Energy
( at 80% DOD) 3
kWh 4.9 3.4 5.6 15 6.8 11
Total Energy Density 3 Wh/ kg 82 57 94 125 57 94
4) Life
Calendar Life years 15 N/ D > 12 15 N/ D > 12
Cycle Life cycles 5,000 > 3000 > 3200 5,000 > 3000 > 3200
Source: Adapted from Kalhammer et al. ( 2007, p29 and p38)
Notes: 1 Scaled from 35 kg battery
2 Scaled from 160 kg battery
3 USABC values do not much up with Tables 1 and 2 because a 80% DOD was applied ( instead
of 70%) to be consistent with Varta and JCS batteries.
Again, more important than this illustrative snapshot is the long- term prospects for
improvements to Li- Ion batteries. As portrayed in Figure 3, the potential power and
12 The reported JCS battery pack weighs 160 kg. As we did with the Varta battery, the power and energy
density values were scaled down to 60 kg ( equivalent to USABC’s PHEV- 10 weight goal) and 120 kg
( equivalent to USABC’s PHEV- 40 weight goal). For example, the reported power density of the 160 kg
JCS battery pack ( 540 W/ kg) was applied directly to a hypothetical 120 kg version of the battery, with total
peak power of ( 0.54 kW/ kg)*( 120 kg) = 65 kW.
- 16-
energy density of Li- Ion batteries are much higher than other chemistries, indicating there
is more room for development. Also, Li- Ion battery costs are predicted to fall as low as
$ 395/ kWh for a PHEV- 10 and $ 260/ kWh for a PHEV- 40, with 100,000 units of
production ( Kalhammer et al., 2007). Although still not sufficient to meet USABC’s
goals, such costs would be a substantial improvement over NiMH batteries. Note,
however, that not all analysts are so optimistic about low costs; Anderman ( 2008) expects
Li- Ion batteries to maintain costs around $ 600/ kWh even with increased production.
Although Li- Ion batteries hold promise in power and energy density, and perhaps cost,
Kalhammer et al. describe potential drawbacks in longevity and safety. High chemical
reactivity provides a greater threat to calendar life, cycle life, and safety compared to
NiMH batteries. For instance, sustained high rate or voltage overcharge and shorting have
potential to trigger thermal runaway, cell venting, and even burning of the electrolyte
solvent and graphite. Thus, Li- Ion batteries require a greater degree of control over cell
voltage and temperature than do other battery chemistries ( Kalhammer et al., 2007).
Technological advances appear to be overcoming longevity problems, as seen with the
high calendar and cycle life of the JCS battery in Table 3. In addition, abuse testing of the
JCS battery did not cause catastrophic failure ( Kalhammer et al., 2007). Still, Anderman
( 2008) states that Li- Ion batteries remain far from being “ proven” technologies for
automotive applications. This statement was supported by Toyota’s 2007 announcement
to halt deployment of a Li- Ion battery for the next- generation Prius model ( HEV) due to
safety concerns, instead proceeding with an advanced NiMH battery ( Shirouzu, 2007).
Thus, safety and reliability remain relatively uncertain for Li- Ion batteries, and further
development and testing is required before mass market launch is likely.
In summary, of the sample battery chemistries presented in Figure 3, as in Figure 2, Li-
Ion technologies are most capable of meeting PHEV performance requirements. In
particular, Li- Ion appears to be the only chemistry that is currently suited for more
demanding PHEV designs, such as the all- electric PHEV- 10 and PHEV- 40 goals set by
the USABC. NiMH batteries could play an interim role in less demanding blended- mode
designs, but it seems likely that falling Li- Ion battery prices may preclude even this role.
For these reasons, most current attention for PHEV battery development is on Li- Ion
technologies. However, the Li- Ion development process is multi- directional, and the next
section provides an illustrative discussion of several specific Li- Ion battery chemistries
that are in various stages of development.
5.0 Li- Ion Prospects
Li- Ion batteries can be constructed from a wide variety of materials, allowing battery
developers to pursue several different paths. Specific battery chemistries are typically
named according to the material used for the positive electrode ( cathode), although the
negative electrode ( anode) material can also be a distinguishing factor. Li- Ion battery
designs also vary by electrolyte, packaging, structure and shape ( Anderman, 2007). The
main Li- Ion cathode material used for consumer applications ( e. g. laptop computers and
cell phones) is lithium cobalt oxide ( LCO). However, due to safety concerns with using
this chemistry for automotive applications, several alternative chemistries are being
- 17-
testing for PHEVs, including: lithium nickel, cobalt and aluminum ( NCA), lithium iron
phosphate ( LFP), lithium nickel, cobalt and manganese ( NCM), lithium manganese
spinel ( LMS), lithium titanium ( LTO), and manganese titanium ( MNS and MS).
Table 4 presents battery performance ratings from tests of three of these chemistries:
LFP, NCM and LTO. The performance attributes among these batteries— as with
batteries in general— yield tradeoffs between power and energy density, as well as safety
and longevity ( not shown in Table 4). The higher voltage batteries have higher energy
density, and generally higher power density ( although power is also affected by other
design aspects). However, battery research is exploring newer chemistries with relatively
low voltage ( and energy and power density), such as LTO, due to goals for battery safety
and longevity, despite reductions in performance.
Table 4: Comparison of Li- Ion Battery Performance ( Cell)
Technology Type
Voltage
Range
( V)
Cell Energy
Density
( Wh/ kg)
Cell Power
Density
( W/ kg)
LFP – Iron Phosphate 3.6- 2.5 90 1100
NCM – Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese 4.2- 3.0 140 900
LTO - Titanium 2.8- 1.5 70 700
Source: Testing by A. Burke at UC Davis, April 2008.
A broader summary of Li- Ion technologies is presented in Table 5 ( page 19). Table 5 is
intended solely as an illustrative snapshot of several key Li- Lion technologies, and not as
an exhaustive or definitive analysis of the present state of the art or prospects for future
development. Instead, these brief descriptions portray the complexity and variety of Li-
Ion battery development, where the attributes of one particular technology may not
represent Li- Ion technology in general. Consistent with the USABC goals described
throughout this paper, Table 5 presents qualitative ratings of the five main attribute
categories: power, energy, safety, life and cost attributes. We use a simple rating scale
based on available literature: a rating of poor is far from reaching USABC goals in that
category; a moderate rating shows some promise of meeting goals with further
development; a good rating has shown evidence of being a good candidate to meet goals;
and an excellent holds very strong promise of meeting USABC goals. Table 5 lists
several manufacturers that are currently working with each class of battery chemistry;
however, each manufacturer may follow different design strategies. Thus, it may be
inappropriate to generalize our qualitative ratings for a given chemistry to all listed ( or
unlisted) manufacturers working with that chemistry. Our qualitative ratings are based
only on the sources we explicitly cite in Table 5.
Table 5 further demonstrates the many inherent tradeoffs in battery development. A
single battery has yet to meet all relevant USABC PHEV goals: power, energy, life,
safety, and cost. For instance, higher power battery chemistries have higher open circuit
voltage, which also reduces life and safety. Chemistries with increased life and safety
- 18-
tend to limit cell voltage, which reduces power and energy capacity. The challenge is to
find an appropriate balance for a particular application.
We summarize the current literature on Li- Ion battery technologies as follows:
LCO: Lithium cobalt oxide ( LCO) is the most common Li- Ion chemistry for non-vehicle
consumer applications, but is generally not suitable for automotive
applications due to concerns with safety, longevity and cost ( Kromer and Heywood,
2007; Chu, 2007). Toyota delayed the use of this chemistry in electric- drive
development due to safety concerns ( Shirouzu, 2007).
NCA: Lithium nickel, cobalt and aluminum ( NCA) is currently being tested by
JCS, GAIA, Matsushita and Toyota. NCA batteries perform quite well in terms of
power density, energy density and longevity ( Kalhammer et al., 2007; Nelson,
Amine and Yomoto, 2007). However, this technology faces limitations in safety
and cost ( Nelson, Amine and Yomoto, 2007).
LFP: Lithium iron phosphate ( LFP) chemistries are in testing stages with A123,
Valence and GAIA. LFP technologies are thought to perform similar to NCA
batteries, but with a higher degree of safety due to a more stable electrode material
with less susceptibility to thermal runway and other threats ( Nelson et al., 2007;
Chu, 2007) and potential for lower costs ( Kromer and Heywood, 2007; Kalhammer
et al., 2007). However, Kromer and Heywood ( 2007) and Anderman ( 2007) note
there are still energy density challenges for PHEV applications.
NCM: Lithium nickel, cobalt and manganese ( NCM) chemistries are being tested
by Litcel, Kokam, and NEC Lamillion. Kalhammer et al. ( 2007) indicate that NCM
has lower performance than NCA and LFP batteries in terms of power, energy,
safety, and life. Testing at UC Davis suggests that the high voltage of NCM holds
potential for high energy density ( e. g. Table 4).
LMS: Lithium manganese spinel ( LMS) is currently in development stages with GS
Yuasa, Litcel, NEC and EnerDel. Although this chemistry has limitations in power
and energy density, it holds high potential for safety, longevity and low cost
( Nelson et al., 2007; Kalhammer et al., 2007).
LTO: Lithium titanium ( LTO) is in development stages with Altairnano and
Enerdel. LTO holds potential for high safety and longevity, but is limited in power,
energy, and affordability ( Kalhammer et al., 2007).
MNS/ MN: Manganese titanium ( MNS and MS) chemistries are still in early
research stages. These chemistries are thought to hold potential for excellent power,
energy density, and safety, at moderate costs ( Nelson et al., 2007).
- 19-
Table 5: Illustrative “ Snapshot” of Li- Ion PHEV Battery Chemistries
Name Description Electrodes:
Positive ( Negative)
Companies Automotive
Status
Power Energy Safety Life Cost
LCO Lithium
cobalt oxide
LiCoO2
( Graphite)
Various consumer
applications ( not
automotive)
Limited auto
applications
( due to safety)
Good 4 Good 4 Low 2,4 ,
Mod. 3
Low 2,4 Poor 2,3
NCA Lithium
nickel,
cobalt and
aluminum
Li( Ni0.85Co0.1Al0.05) O2
( Graphite)
JCI- Saft 3
GAIA 3
Matsuhita 3
Toyota 6
Pilot 1 Good 1,3 Good 1,3 Mod. 1 Good 1 Mod. 1,3
LFP Lithium iron
phosphate
LiFePO4
( Graphite)
A123 3
Valence 5
GAIA
Pilot 1 Good 1 Mod. 2,6 Mod. 1,2,4 Good 1,4 Mod. 1 ,
Good 2,3
NCM Lithium
nickel,
cobalt and
manganese
Li( Ni1/ 3Co1/ 3Mn1/ 3) O2
( Graphite)
Litcel ( Mitsubishi) 3
Kokam 3
NEC Lamillion 3
Pilot 3 Mod. 3 Mod. 3 ,
Good 7
Mod. 3 Poor 3 Mod. 3
LMS Lithium
manganese
spinel
LiMnO2 or LiMn2O4
( Li4Ti5O12)
GS Yuasa 3
Litcel ( Mitsubishi) 3
NEC Lamillion 3
EnerDel
Devel. 1 Mod. 2 Poor 1,2,3 Excel. 1 ,
Good 2
Excel. 1
Mod. 6
Mod. 2
LTO Lithium
titanium
LiMnO2
( LiTiO2)
Altairnano 3
EnerDel
Devel. 3 Poor 3 ,
Mod. 7
Poor 3 Good 3 Good 3 Poor 3
MNS Manganese
titanium
LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4
( Li4Ti5O12)
Research 1 Good 1 Mod. 1 Excel. 1 Unkwn. Mod. 1
MN Manganese
titanium
Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2
( Graphite)
Research 1 Excel. 1 Excel. 1 Excel. 1 Unkwn. Mod. 1
Sources:
1 Nelson, Amine and Yomoto ( 2007, p2)
2 Kromer and Heywood ( 2007, p37)
3 Kalhammer et al. ( 2007)
4 Chu ( 2007)
5 Kohler ( 2007)
6 Anderman ( 2007)
7 UC Davis Testing
- 20-
6.0 Conclusion
Using the USABC's goals for PHEV batteries, we have summarized the state of various
battery technologies. Four main highlights can be drawn from this discussion. First, the
battery “ goals” or “ requirements” for a PHEV are contingent on many assumptions. We
compared the goals of the USABC to two alternative studies published by researchers
from MIT and EPRI. The three sets of goals differ greatly based on different assumptions
about CD range, CD operation ( all- electric vs. blended), drive cycle, vehicle mass,
battery mass, and other issues. The “ true” requirements of PHEV technology will depend
on consumers’ driving and recharging behaviors as well as their valuation of different
PHEV designs and capabilities. In turn, producer and consumer behavior alike can be
shaped by government regulation, e. g., California’s ZEV mandate. Thus, while the
USABC ( and others) provides a useful benchmark for the future of PHEV battery
technology, there may be a role for less ambitious PHEV designs, such as blended PHEV
conversions, as well as Toyota’s demonstration of a PHEV Prius using NiMH. In other
words, it may not be necessary that USABC’s goals be met by a specific battery
technology before the commercial production or success of PHEVs can occur. However,
such advances will be required for more ambitious PHEV designs, if proved necessary for
market acceptance, such as GM’s Volt concept, which is promised to offer 40 miles of
all- electric range.
Second, battery development is constrained by inherent tradeoffs among the five main
battery attributes: power, energy, longevity, safety and cost. No battery currently meets
all of the USABC’s PHEV goals for these attributes. Increasing power density requires
higher voltage that reduces longevity and safety and increases cost. Increasing energy
density tends to reduce power density. Attempts to simultaneously optimize power,
energy, longevity, and safety will increase battery cost. Readers must be careful to
understand the complex trade- offs among these attributes and among battery
technologies. Certainly we must avoid assembling the best performances from different
battery technologies on different drive cycles in different vehicles as an indication of the
current state of battery technology.
Third, in meeting the USABC’s PHEV battery design goals, Li- Ion chemistries are better
suited than NiMH. Only Li- Ion can meet the high power and energy density goals
specified by USABC for vehicles with all- electric driving in charge depleting mode.
Although a PHEV designed to operate in blended mode will have lower power and
energy density goals than the USABC goals, Li- Ion technologies are still superior to
NiMH in potential for lower cost. However, despite Li- Ion’s potential, the technology is
not yet firmly established for automotive applications, and development must overcome
issues of longevity and safety— and the resulting tradeoffs with performance— in order to
achieve commercial success.
Fourth, Li- Ion technology continues to follow multiple paths of development. Table 5
illustrates eight such directions, each using different electrode materials in efforts to
optimize power, energy, safety, life, and cost performance. In particular, we must not
generalize the attributes of one battery, e. g. Toyota’s concerns about safety with its LCO
- 21-
battery, to all Li- Ion batteries. Table 5 shows how these attributes can vary substantially
among different chemistries. In addition, Table 5 also demonstrates the complexity and
uncertainty of selecting a single technological “ winner” among advanced automotive
battery chemistries.
In summary, electric- drive interest groups, including researchers, policymakers,
companies, advocates and critics, should be aware of these fundamental battery issues to
facilitate more grounded debates about the present and future of electric- drive vehicles,
including plug- in hybrid vehicles.
- 22-
7.0 References
Anderman, M. ( 2007). Gap Analysis for Li- Ion Batteries in Automotive Applications,
Advanced Automotive Batteries Conference 2007, Long Beach, California, May,
14- 18, 2007.
Anderman, M. ( 2008). PHEV: A step forward or a detour? Presentation at SAE 2008
Hybrid Vehicle Technologies Symposium, San Diego, California, February 12- 14,
2008.
CalCars ( 2008). All About Plug- In Hybrids ( PHEVs),
http:// www. calcars. org/ vehicles. html ( accessed April 17th, 2008).
California Air Resources Board – CARB ( 2003). Final Regulation Order: The 2003
Amendments to the California Zero Emission Vehicle Regulation, California
Environmental Protection Agency. http:// www. arb. ca. gov/ regact/ zev2003/ fro. pdf
( accessed May 9th, 2008).
California Air Resources Board – CARB ( 2008a). ARB Passes New ZEV Amendment:
Measures could produce 65,000 cleaner vehicles by 2012, Press Release, March
27 th , 2007, http:// www. arb. ca. gov/ newsrel/ nr032708b. htm ( accessed April 17th,
2008).
California Air Resources Board – CARB ( 2008b). 2008 Proposed Amendments to the
California Zero Emission Vehicle Program Regulations, Staff Report: Initial
Statement of Reasons, February 8 th , 2008,
http:// www. arb. ca. gov/ regact/ 2008/ zev2008/ zevisor. pdf ( accessed April 17th,
2008).
Chu, A. ( 2007). Nanophosphate Lithium- Ion Technology for Transportation
Applications, 23 rd International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition ( EVS-
23), Anaheim, California, December 2- 5, 2007.
Doughty, D. and C. Crafts ( 2005). FreedomCAR Electrical Energy Storage System Abuse
Test Manual for Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicle Applications, Sandia National
Laboratories, 2005- 3123, June, 2005
Electric Power Research Institute – EPRI ( 2007). The Power to Reduce CO2 Emissions:
The Full Portfolio, Discussion Paper, Prepared for the EPRI 2007 Summer Seminar
Attendees, August 2007.
Fahey, J. ( 2006). Remember the pinto? Forbes, 178( 8), October 16 th , 2006.
Graham et al., ( 2001). Comparing the Benefits and Impacts of Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Options EPRI, Palo Alto, CA: 2001. 1000349,
- 23-
Duvall, M. et al., ( 2002). Comparing the Benefits and Impacts of Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Options for Compact Sedan and Sport Utility Vehicles, EPRI, Palo Alto, CA: 2002.
1006892.
Gondor, J. and A. Simpson ( 2007). Measuring and Reporting Fuel Economy of Plug- In
Hybrid Electric Vehicles, WEVA Journal, Vol. 1.
Kalhammer, F. R., B. M. Kopf, D. Swan, V. P. Roan, and M. P. Walsh ( 2007). Status and
Prospects for Zero Emissions Vehicle Technology: Report of the ARB Independent
Expert Panel 2007, Prepared for State of California Air Resources Board,
Sacramento, California, April 13 2007.
Kohler, M. ( 2007). Lithium Phosphate Batteries used Successfully in PHEV Applications,
Advanced Automotive Batteries Conference 2007, Long Beach, California, May,
14- 18, 2007.
Kromer, M. and J. Heywood ( 2007). Electric Powertrains: Opportunities and Challenges
in the U. S. Light- Duty Vehicle Fleet, LFEE 2007- 03 RP. Sloan Automotive
Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
Kurani, K., R. Heffner and T. Turrentine ( 2007). Driving Plug- In Hybrid Electric
Vehicles: Reports from U. S. Drivers of HEVs Converted to PHEVs, Circa 2006-
2007, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, October
16 th , 2007.
Nelson, P., K. Amine, and H. Yomoto ( 2007). Advanced Lithium- Ion Batteries for Plug-in
Hybrid- Electric Vehicles, 23 rd International Electric Vehicle Symposium and
Exposition ( EVS- 23), Anaheim, California, December 2- 5, 2007.
Pesaran, A., T. Market, H. Tataria, and D. Howell ( 2007). Battery Requirements for Plug-
In Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Analysis and Rationale, 23 rd International Electric
Vehicle Symposium and Exposition ( EVS- 23), Anaheim, California, December 2- 5,
2007.
Shirouzu, N. ( 2007). Toyota Puts Off New Type of Battery for Next Prius, The Wall
Street Journal, June 14 th , 2007.
Turrentine, T. and K. Kurani ( 1996) Advances in Electric Vehicle Technology from 1990
to 1995: The Role Of California’s Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, EPRI Report
TR- 106274, February 1996.
- 24-
8.0 Acronyms and Glossary
All- Electric Operation: A type of operation in charge- depleting ( CD) mode that uses only
grid electricity to power the vehicle.
Available Energy Capacity: The amount of energy ( in kWh or kWh/ kg) stored in a battery
that can be used in regular operation. Equal to the total battery energy multiplied by the
usable depth of discharge ( DOD).
Blended Operation: A type of operation in charge- depleting ( CD) mode that uses grid
electricity and gasoline to power the vehicle— energy from the engine and the battery
are “ blended” together through the electro- mechanical drivetrain.
Calendar Life: The ability of the battery to withstand degradation over time, which may be
independent of how much or how hard the battery is used.
CARB – California Air Resources Board: An environmental regulation agency in
California.
CD Mode – Charge Depleting: Energy stored in the battery is used to power the vehicle,
gradually depleting the battery’s state of charge ( SOC).
CD Range: The distance a PHEV can drive in charge depleting ( CD) mode before switching
to charge sustaining ( CS) mode.
Cell: A single battery unit.
CS Mode – Charge Sustaining: The battery’s state of charge ( SOC) is sustained by relying
primarily on the gasoline engine to drive the vehicle, only using the battery and electric
motor to increase the efficiency of the gasoline engine ( like an HEV).
Deep Cycle Life: The number of complete discharge- recharge cycles the battery can perform
in charge- depleting ( CD) mode.
DOD – ( Usable) Depth of Discharge: The differences between the battery’s maximum and
minimum states of charge ( SOC) – not usually equal to 100%.
Drive Cycle: A driving pattern used to test vehicle fuel economy, as well as battery
performance, often made up of one or more drive schedules.
Drive Schedule: A driving pattern that simulates a particular driving pattern, such as city
( UDDS) or highway ( HWFET) driving.
Energy Density ( Wh/ kg): The amount of energy stored per kg of a battery pack or cell.
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency: A U. S. government agency whose goal is to
protect human health and the environment.
EPRI – Electric Power Research Institute: A non- profit organization that conducts research
and development on technology for the electric power sector.
EV – Electric Vehicle: An electric drive vehicle that is only powered by grid electricity.
HEV – Hybrid Electric Vehicle: An electric drive vehicle that is primarily powered by a heat
engine ( e. g. an internal combustion engine), but uses an electric motor and energy
storage system ( e. g. an advanced battery) to improve engine efficiency.
HWFET – Highway Fuel Economy Test Schedule: A drive schedule established by the
EPA to simulate highway driving conditions.
- 25-
ICE – Internal Combustion Engine: An engine that converts the energy in a fuel into
motion through combustion.
JCS – Johnston Controls- Saft: A manufacturer of advanced batteries ( among other things).
kW – Kilowatt: A measure of power ( 1000 watts), where 1 kW = 1.34 horsepower.
kWh – Kilowatt- hour: A measure of energy use or capacity, where 1 kWh = 1,000 Watts
provided for 1 hour.
LCO – Lithiated Cobalt Oxide: A Li- Ion chemistry currently being explored for PHEV
applications. Although very common in consumer applications, there are concerns with
safety, longevity and cost.
LFP – Lithiated Iron Phosphate: A Li- Ion chemistry currently being explored for PHEV
applications. In the testing stage, this chemistry uses a more stable electrode material
and has potential for lower costs.
Li- Ion – Lithium Ion: A class of advanced battery using lithium- ion chemistry.
LMS – Lithium Manganese Spinel: A Li- Ion chemistry currently being explored for PHEV
applications. Hold high potential for safety, longevity and low cost, but with limitations
in power and energy density.
LTO – Lithiated Titanium: A Li- Ion chemistry currently being explored for PHEV
applications. Holds potential for safety and longevity, but limited prospects for power,
energy, and affordability.
MNS - Manganese Titanium: A Li- Ion chemistry currently being explored for PHEV
applications. Still in early research stages and thought to hold potential for high power,
energy and safety at moderate costs.
MS – Manganese Titanium: A Li- Ion chemistry currently being explored for PHEV
applications. Still in early research stages and thought to hold potential for high power,
energy and safety at moderate costs.
NCA – Lithiated Iron Phosphate: A Li- Ion chemistry currently currently being explored for
PHEV applications. Performs well in power density, energy density and longevity, but
faces limitations in safety and cost.
NCM – lithiated nickel, cobalt and manganese: A Li- Ion chemistry currently being explored
for PHEV applications. Has potential for high energy density, but faces limitations in
power, life, safety and cost.
NiMH – Nickel- Metal Hydride: A class of advanced battery using nickel- metal hydride
chemistry. Generally has lower power and energy density than Li- Ion chemistries.
Pack: A battery system, made up of several cells, and potentially a cooling system, inter- cell
connectors, cell monitoring devices, safety circuits, and other components not included
at the cell level.
Packaging Factor: A factor used to convert the attributes of a battery cell to a battery pack
( or vice versa). For energy capacity, this factor is the ratio between the combined
weights of the cells to the weight of the entire battery pack ( ranging from 0.6 to 0.8).
The factor is typically smaller for converting power density.
- 26-
Parallel Architecture: A PHEV drivetrain that allows a direct connection between the
engine and the wheels, as well as between the engine and battery and motor via a
generator. The vehicle can be powered by electricity and gasoline simultaneously,
electricity only, or by gasoline only. The battery is charged from an electrical outlet,
or by the gasoline engine via a generator ( e. g. Toyota Prius PHEV conversions).
PHEV – Plug- In Hybrid Electric Vehicle: An electric drive vehicle that can be powered
by a heat engine ( e. g. an internal combustion engine), an electric motor using grid
electricity ( e. g. stored in a battery), or both.
Power Density ( W/ kg): The amount of power that can be provided per kg of battery pack
or cell.
Ragone Plot: A plot showing energy density versus power density for batteries and other
energy- storing devices.
Series Architecture: A PHEV drivetrain that powers the vehicle only by an electric
motor using electricity from a battery. The battery is charged from an electrical
outlet, or by the gasoline engine via a generator ( e. g. GM’s Volt concept)
Shallow Cycle Life: The number of shallow cycles ( state of charge variation of only a
few percent) the battery can perform in charge- depleting ( CD) and charge-sustaining
( CS) modes.
SOC – State of Charge: The ratio of energy currently stored in a battery to the battery’s
maximum capacity.
Total Energy Capacity: The amount of total energy ( in kWh or kWh/ kg) that can be
stored in a battery. Not all of this energy is usable, as operation is limited to using
the assigned depth of discharge ( DOD) to preserve battery life and safety.
UDDS – Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule: A drive schedule established by the
EPA to simulate city driving conditions.
US06 – Supplemental Driving Schedule: A more aggressive, and potentially more
realistic, drive schedule than UDDS or HWFET.
USABC – U. S. Advanced Battery Consortium: a partnership between the U. S.
Department of Energy ( DOE) and US auto companies.
ZEBRA: A sodium- nickel chloride battery.
ZEV – Zero Emission Vehicle: A vehicle that produces zero tailpipe emissions.