Design News - Captain Hybrid - Lead-Acid Batteries Seek New Role in Hybrids, Plug-Ins
Using a souped-up version of a chemistry that's been around since the days of Edison, a Detroit-area startup wants to slash the costs of batteries for hybrids and plug-in cars.
Energy Power Systems (EPS) says it has boosted the power density and cycle life of the venerable lead-acid battery, without touching the low costs that made it desirable in the first place. With the new technology, batteries for mild hybrids and plug-in cars could cost less than half of what they do today, the company says.
... That's why his company has lifted the power density of lead-acid from about 200 W/kg to 1,600 W/kg. Cycle life has similarly been improved by a factor of five.