Vehicle Testing of Near-Term Batteries

A series of vehicle tests of Near-Term nickel-iron, nickel-zinc, and lead-acid batteries were conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in support of the Department of Energy's Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Demonstration Program. The tests, which consisted of constant speed and SAE J227a driving cycles (1)*, demonstrated significant range improvement relative to current lead-acid batteries, but identified development deficiencies in the Near-Term Batteries. Deficiencies in the state-of-the-art vehicles used for the tests were also identified during the course of testing.