Tony wrote:
"The patents on NiMH batteries were previously owned by GM (during the EV1 era) and later sold to Chevron, who have used those patents to prevent anyone from making large NiMH batteries suitable for use in electric cars. All NiMH battery production (such as the common AA rechargeables) must be licensed from Chevron, and their licensing terms forbid batteries from being made above a certain specified size. This has been alluded to in Who Killed The Electric Car, and Future Crush, and other sources."
I knew about the NIMH story but he seems to be aluding to a L-ion conspiracy with the Johnson controls reference. (Saft makes Li-ion products)
Here's Martin's quote:
"Specifically, GM cites the Volt’s Li-ion batteries as problematic, even while acknowledging that Li-ion is the best available formulation. They recently awarded two parallel development contracts for the Volt’s battery system: one to Cobasys (together with A123) and the other to Johnson Controls/Saft. Through the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC, comprising GM, Ford, and Chrysler), they also recently funneled $15 million into A123.
Cobasys, you might remember, is what Ovonic became after Texaco acquired it from GM. (Ovonic was Stan Ovshinsky’s company that made the NiMH batteries for the Gen 2 EV-1.) Hmm. Johnson Controls is tight with GM, making all sorts of components for GM (and others), especially car interiors. Johnson Controls bought battery maker Saft in 2005, I think. Conspiracy theories abound."
