Battery solutions for hybrid vehicles

For years carcompanies working on fuel cell cars have wondered about lithium ion batteries. Never the perfect choice, their availability and reliability were both questionable.

Indeed one of the conundrums facing hybrid and fuel cell vehicle developments was how to make sure the lithium ion batteries did not overheat (these by the way are the same batteries that power the laptop).

Now it seems the auto industry is going about things in a more organised fashion. Johnson Controls, which is a world leader in automotive batteries, has tied up with Saft Advanced Power Solutions, which a leader in making lithium ion batteries for a plant that will make the latter specifically for the auto industry.

The plant, located in France, will crank out 5000 units a year but the two partners have indicated a quick ramp up and an Asian footprint are both on the cards.

Which means top customers like General Motors, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Chrysler and others, who are all betting big on hybrids, will now be able to source lithium ion batteries from a dedicated supplier. All of which means that the joint venture will get plenty of customers to keep it busy over the next couple of months.
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