Since 1996, Saft has been working under the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicle (PNGV), on the development of the Li-Ion technology for HEV application. Saft's high power Li-Ion cells exhibit outstanding characteristics in power, energy, cold cranking capability, and cycle and calendar life. These cells have been tested under USABC abuse testing conditions 1, 2.
This paper presents a full size HEV battery for consumer automotive application. This is a high power Li-Ion battery for the DaimlerChrysler Town & Country Natrium fuel cell concept - hybrid electric vehicle. This 2.8 kWh battery, with voltage of 346 V, can provide more than 54 kW under 18 second pulse discharge at room temperature while the battery weighs only 64kg. The battery is designed for the “start up” of the fuel cell as well as for “power assist” conditions.
Evolutionary changes in Saft's Li-Ion cell chemistry have produced significant improvement in cell performance characteristics. Therefore, the paper will also give a summary of the latest improvements in Saft's Li-Ion technology.