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National Battery Alliance to Bring Battery Manufacturing
Back to USA for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles |
Kathy A. Penrose
Contributing Journalist
AllAmericanHybrid.com
kathy@motordoc.net
In December 2008, the leading U.S. battery
companies and advanced material companies have announced that
they have formed a new alliance. The National Alliance for
Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture is meant to
promote America’s lithium-ion battery production. The founding
members include such companies as, ActaCell, 3M, Altair
Nanotechnologies, All Cell Technologies, EaglePicher
Corporation, Dontech Global, EnerSys, Envia Systems, FMC,
MicroSun Technologies, Mobius Power, SiLyte, Superior Graphite,
and Townsend Advanced Energy.
The “Alliance” hopes that automakers will use the
American produced batteries in next-generation hybrids and
plug-in electric vehicles. American battery production will
help add much needed jobs to the country. It will also make
American made hybrid and all electric vehicles more affordable
and much better for the environment.
The group is seeking to develop one or more
manufacturing and prototype development centers in the United
States and all Alliance members will share it. This will
require an investment of $1 to $2 million dollars over a period
of five years. The government will be funding most of the
investment because no U.S. based battery companies can assume
such a high risk. Lithium battery manufacturing is heavily
subsidized in several other countries. The Alliance hopes that
this will give the foreign companies some competition.
"For twenty years the
United States has sat idly and watched foreign markets become
the leaders in lithium-ion technology. I am excited by the
prospects of creating this collaboration to concentrate the
educational and manufacturing resources within the United States
to create safer, more powerful battery cells for our markets.
The Alliance represents the beginning of a new technology age in
cell development and manufacture.” said Alan Elshafei who is the
CEO and founder MicroSun Technologies.
The plan is to invite U.S. Truck and auto makers
and members of the Department of Defense to serve on the
Alliance’s advisory board. The advisory board will help the
manufacturers form standardized cell formats that will make
manufacturing more simple and that will ultimately lower the
cost of the product.
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