South Korean battery make LG Chem says it will spend more than $300 million over the next three years to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan for advanced technology batteries.

The company is one of four battery makers approved for generous state tax incentives this summer  as Michigan bids to become the nation’s battery-making center.

At least three other battery groups, from Germany, South Korea and the U.S., also have expressed interest n locating plants in Michigan, state officials say.

LG plans to make batteries for a variety of applications and customers, but is linked closely with General Motors because a subsidiary, Compact Power, earlier this year won separate contracts from GM to build the lithium ion battery packs for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid and an as-yet-unnamed 2011 Buick plug-in hybrid.

The LG plant is to be located in Holland, Mich., about 180 miles due west of Detroit. More

General Motors on Monday opened the doors to the OnStar EV Lab in Detroit, a testing center for in-car communications the company hopes will give its electric Chevy Volt more high-tech appeal.

The OnStar EV Lab, housed in GM’s downtown Detroit corporate headquarters, is now using the OnStar communications system to gather data on 19 Chevy Volt vehicles for engineering purposes. The same technology will give consumers the ability to tap online services and perform tasks specific to a plug-in electric vehicle, company executives said.

When GM releases the Volt at the end of next year, consumers will be able to program when to charge the vehicle much like they operate home heating and cooling system, said Tony Posawatz, the vehicle line director for the Chevy Volt. GM is considering more advanced features as well, such as demand response where car charging slows down during peak times in exchange for lower rates from the utility.

“The car will have to talk to the grid and be able to pull very sensitive (utility) data,” Posawatz said. “Electric vehicle customers want to manage their energy–they’re very into data. OnStar is an enabling tool for us.”

The OnStar system could broker communications with the utility so that consumers can charge at off-peak times, such as the middle of the night, and potentially take advantage of lower rates. “Smart charging,” or charging at off-peak times, is important to manage so that plug-in electric vehicles don’t add to peak-time electricity demand. In the near term, utility executives say the biggest concern is that many cars in one local area will tax one particular electricity distribution point. More

Automotive News explains, “A bill to make fuel-efficient three-wheeled vehicles eligible for federal funding now available to automakers and their suppliers has passed Congress and is headed to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature.” The bill will provide Energy Department funds to startups like Aptera Motors and Elio Motors, which have developed experimental three-wheeled vehicles that reportedly get significantly better fuel economy than most of today’s passenger cars. In some cases, the vehicles are electric.

Autoblog adds, “three-wheeled vehicle platforms sometimes have the potential to use less energy to operate than their four-wheeled siblings, though some still question the inherent safety of such designs. Assuming the bill passes the President’s desk, any manufacturer of enclosed three-wheeled vehicles that can carry at least two adults while returning at least 75 miles per gallon will be eligible for funding, though the DOE will still approve applications on a case-by-case basis.”

Nissan’s Land Glider electric vehicle tilts from side to side, allowing the car, still an experimental concept model, to sway and swerve, almost like a motorcycle.Nissan Motor Co. project design director Takashi Nakjima says Land Glider is designed to be a “personal city commuter.” The Land Glider has sensors to calculate speed and level of lean required for corners, and can maneuver through narrow streets and fit into tight parking spaces, according to Yokohama-based Nissan.

Chrysler’s ENVI electric vehicle program has spawned several possible vehicles that may one day reach showrooms.  However, the automaker has gone silent in regard to any upcoming EV projects leading speculators to believe that the program may be dead in the water.

All is about to change though as Chrysler board member Alfredo Altavilla let word slip out that the company is working together with Italian owner Fiat on an upcoming EV.  News came while Altavilla was visiting Fiat’s gearbox plant in Verrone, Italy.

We should find out more on November 4 when Chrysler/Fiat release their 5 year plan.

As electric vehicle proponents, alternative energy entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists have predicted, the development of better, more efficient batteries will give the electric vehicle (EV) industry the game changing boost it needs to change the way we think about transportation. Battery technology, which produced the successful development of the lithim-ion battery for laptop computers and then in the Tesla sports car, is now about to take the next leap forward with a battery that can be produced at lower prices but with greater capacity, meaning an increased range between charges.

Well, the lower price hasn’t happened yet, but researchers have created a new generation battery by combining Nickel and Lithium to produce a battery that can store more than 3.5 times the energy of lithium-ion batteries..

This is a prime example of the payoff from the money and effort going into the development of smaller, cheaper, safer (the Nickel-Lithium batteries are less prone to burst into flames as some lithium-ion batteries in laptops have), and more powerful batteries that will deliver more miles between charges as the era of the Electrical Vehicle (EV) is knocking at the door.

Other companies are developing the components that will complete the EV. One such company (Proterra) claims to deliver a full charge to lithium batteries in ten minutes, and has produced an all electric bus that also includes a regenerative braking system that they claim will capture 90% of a vehicle’s kinetic energy during braking to put back in the battery. More

A German auto engineering company is working on a project that just might solve the world’s oil problems. IAV Automotive Engineering has secured a patent for their electric vehicle (EV) wireless road-charging system.

Conceptually, roads would be fitted with electrical conductors that create magnetic fields, which charge your battery powered vehicle as you drive. Radio chips would identify your vehicle and bill you appropriately. The conductors are resistant to both weather and mechanical wear.

This system eliminates many of the common difficulties and headaches associated with EVs. It extends the range of an EV to virtually limitless, and there is no need for long charging times or battery exchanges. The IAV system is completely cordless and can even charge an EV while it’s parked. More

Suzuki Swift EREV

Every time I start to read about cars there’s a new hybrid announced.  Suzuki is the latest auto maker to announce a plugin hybrid, this one is made from their Suzuki Swift model.

The Swift is already sold in Japan and Europe and comes with a little 1.3-liter diesel engine.  The concept uses a 660 cc engine that charges lithium batteries that in turn power a small 54 kw electric motor.  The battery stack sits between the two front seats, and likely travels into the rear as well.

Reminds me of the Chevy Volt.

Lyle over at GM-Volt was able to interview the CEO of Compact Power about the costs involved in making the lithium batteries that will go in the Chevy Volt.

Here’s an excerpt:

I recently had the chance to ask him about the cost of lithium-ion batteries.  As some sources suggest cost could be as high as $1000 kwh, I asked him what the actual cost is in today’s market.  My question with his explanation follows:

What is the cost of lithium ion automotive batteries?
Is its risky or dangerous to quote direct numbers.

At the cell level, in consumer applications, 100% of the nominal capacity at the beginning of life is somewhere on the order of $350 per kwh.

Read the rest here

In anticipation of these mainstream rollouts and the vehicles’ likely popularity, a number of cities are developing or are already implementing plans for charging stations and buying incentives.

New-home builders should be planning ahead, as well, to ensure the garages of the houses they sell are ready if and when future occupants choose to go the plug-in route. Single-family builders will only need to make minor modifications, if any; multifamily developers have some heftier considerations. “If we’re not ready to get buildings outfitted today, there’s going to be a lot of incurred costs later on,” says Britta Gross, director of global energy systems and infrastructure commercialization for GM.

To make electric cars acceptable to mainstream users, ease of use is essential: The Volt simply plugs into a three-pronged outlet via an extension cord. According to Gross, the Volt charges in eight hours on a 120-volt/15-amp outlet or in about three hours on a 240-volt/30-amp outlet. Though most single-family garages already contain a 120-volt outlet, forward-thinking builders should consider installing a 240-volt outlet no more than 25 feet from cars and providing a dedicated circuit. More