Battery Maker A123 Announces New Tech to Jump-Start Its Business

C, could make it feasible to switch from a liquid cooling system, with its complex system of pumps, coolant, pipes, and radiators, to an air cooling system that just requires a fan. He estimates that this might reduce the cost of a battery pack by 10 to 20 percent.

The new batteries could also be used instead of lead-acid batteries in conventional internal-combustion engine cars. Because they could operate at the range of temperatures needed for such a battery inside the engine compartment, the new cells would offer a drop-in replacement, A123 says. They could also be useful in micro-hybrids, cars that use slightly larger-than-normal starter batteries that allow the car engine to turn off at stops and quickly start up again, as well as recover some energy from braking.

Although the initial cost is about $250 more than for a conventional starter battery, A123 says that the economics work out over the lifetime of the vehicle because the batteries last longer than lead-acid batteries and allow for greater fuel savings, since the batteries can capture more energy from braking. This market, however, may be difficult to enter, since car owners may be reluctant to pay higher upfront costs for their cars.

The high- and low-temperature performance could make the batteries suitable for replacing lead-acid batteries in backup power systems for cell towers or in areas, such as India, without a stable supply of power from the grid. A123 says that such an application would offer savings of about 60 percent over lead-acid batteries. These power systems often use diesel generators to charge lead-acid batteries, since the batteries take a long time to charge, and can't be recharged completely from an intermittent grid. But where it takes five hours to charge a lead-acid battery, it would take only 48 minutes to charge A123's batteries, decreasing or eliminating the need for the diesel generator, lowering costs still more.

So far, outside sources haven't verified A123's claims, although initial tests through Ohio State University seem promising—they've shown similar performance at high temperatures, although only for a few hundred charge cycles. A123 claims the batteries maintain 90 percent capacity after charging and discharging at 45

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