GM announces hybrid SUV with lithium ion batteries

Rick Wagoner, GM Chairman and CEO, has said on November, 29:

"GM Announces Intention to Produce Plug-in Hybrid SUV
Saturn Vue Green Line Will Use Modified 2-mode Hybrid System, Lithium Ion Battery
LOS ANGELES – General Motors Corp. intends to produce a Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid that has the potential to achieve double the fuel efficiency of any current SUV, the automaker announced at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.
This hybrid SUV will use a modified version of GM’s 2-mode hybrid system and plug-in technology, a Lithium Ion battery pack when ready, highly efficient electronics and powerful electric motors to achieve significant increases in fuel economy.
“GM has begun work on a Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid production vehicle,” said Rick Wagoner, GM Chairman and CEO. “The technological hurdles are real, but we believe they are also surmountable. I can’t give you a production date for our plug-in hybrid today. But I can tell you that this is a top priority program for GM, given the huge potential it offers for fuel-economy improvement.”
A plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle differs from non-plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles by offering extended electric-only propulsion, additional battery capacity and the ability to be recharged from an external electrical outlet.
The Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid is expected to offer electric-only propulsion for more than 10 miles."

So, GM doesn't have the lithium ion battery technology yet. Which will be the supplier?

GM and electric batteries

As a comentator suggests here, I also think that the electric batteries will gain the race over the fuel cells.

The comment, albeit anonymous, stresses that GM has made a recent move to the development of electric batteries over its previous choice - the fuel cells. As a matter of fact, Bob Lutz, GM vice-president, has said so in June, 2006 in an interview to Automative News: "Tom Stephens (group vice president of GM Powertrain), Rick Wagoner and I believe in the ultimate electrification of the automobile". Furthermore, Bob Lutz said that "(A) series hybrid could run primarily on electricity from lithium ion batteries, with an engine as backup to replenish the batteries". And recently, as Horse Power Sports notices, has mantained that "executives think electric vehicles are the future".

It seems that the future is knocking GM's door (and the other majors). And its name seems to be lithium ion batteries. Now, let's us see if they open the door. And which will be the supplier of the lithium ion batteries.

Electric batteries versus fuel cells

The war on the auto sector between electric batteries (nano titanate, lithium ion, nickel metal hydride and nickel cadmium) and fuel cells seems to replicate the late war between the Super 8 camera and the VCR technology.

If the electric batteries developers - Altair Nanotechnologies, Valence Technology and A123 Systems - accomplish their promised goals, then the fuel cells technology can be overidden and even become a pre-flop - a flop that doesn't even happen. That is, fuel cells, which, furthermore require a hydrogen station apparatus, batteries could never be launched.

Electric batteries developers say that batteries can be charged at stations or at the user garage. Altair has announced that Nanosafe batteries can sustain 15,000 cycles (charge/discarge), last for 130/250 miles per charge, charge in 10 minutes at the station or 2 hours at home. That would make the hydrogen technology... obsolete.

"The 35 KWh NanoSafe pack can be recharged in less than 10 minutes, with the appropriate battery charger and provides sufficient power and energy for a fleet vehicle to travel up to 130 miles. The 70 KWh NanoSafe pack can also be recharged in less than 10 minutes, with the appropriate battery charger and provides sufficient power and energy for a full sized SUV to travel up to 250 miles."

Unless the fuel cells technology achieves the neo-alchemic dream of transforming water directly into energy and a consumer can put water in the tank which would be processed in hydrogen and then in energy, an electric battery charged with 3 dollars (!) will be absolutely better.

Les jeux sont faits. So, let's wait for a supplier chosen by a major player and see the big contract coming...

Disclaimer: in my portfolio, I own shares of Altair.