Austin has operations by Freescale Semiconductor, which has a long track record with General Motors and ActaCell, started as a spinoff from U-T, which is developing the next generation of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.
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A123 makes lithium-ion batteries for electric cars.
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The ELR will run on an electric propulsion system made of a T-shaped lithium ion battery, an electric drive unit and a four-cylinder engine generator.
It can run for between 25 and 50 miles on electricity from its lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, rated at 149 horsepower.
But the project's first concept is most decidedly a four-wheeler: a plug-in electric Mini powered by a lithium-ion battery.
In very related news, GM has struck a deal with Massachusetts-based battery developer A123 Systems to produce flat lithium-ion batteries for use in upcoming plug-in electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Volt.
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The Karma Sedan is a series Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) powered by a lithium-ion battery and an efficient 2.0-liter range-extending gasoline engine.
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Industry insiders say it has been developing, in a joint venture with Matsushita Electric, a lithium-ion battery that uses nickel, cobalt and aluminum dioxide.
The contract will fund development of a lower-cost lithium-ion phosphate battery technology with enhanced power, lifetime and durability for hybrid-electric vehicle applications.
Lithium-ion batteries are a key breakthrough that make electric vehicles far more practical in terms of operating range.
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Not much, admittedly, when compared to the 128 watt-hours per kilogram of a lithium-ion battery, like that found in many electric cars.
The Chevy Volt is driven by electric motors powered by lithium-ion batteries that are charged by plugging the vehicle into a standard 110-volt socket.
Coming in 2012, a hybrid version of the flagship Audi A8 sedan will team a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric motor generator and self-charging 1.3 kWh lithium-ion battery pack to realize an impressive 37 mpg.
The Ford Focus Electric will be powered by a 23 kWh lithium-ion battery with an estimated 100-mile range that can be recharged by both 120V and 240V power sources.
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The relative high purchase price of electric cars comes from the cost of the lithium-ion batteries, which a Ford executive recently revealed can make up one-third of a car's price.
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The federal government started to step up its funding for electric car research and production, including the use of lithium-ion batteries.
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Because owners plug in to charge the advanced lithium-ion battery in C-MAX Energi, the vehicle is able to achieve increased electric mode and total range.
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These components are combined with electrical parts that are also "made by Volkswagen, " such as the lithium-ion battery in the center tunnel and the 54-hp front and 114-hp rear electric motors.
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The parallel full hybrid system developed by Porsche also offers "coasting" at higher speeds, a mode wherein the internal combustion engine is turned off and the electric motors use vehicle momentum to generate electricity that is stored in the lithium-ion battery.
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Battery regeneration: Whenever the driver releases the accelerator pedal or applies the brakes, and the battery is insufficiently charged, the two electric motors act as generators and feed energy recovered from the brakes into the lithium-ion battery.
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Another example: A123 Systems, a Massachusetts company that produces lithium-ion batteries, has created a large design and manufacturing center in Michigan to be near their automotive customers for electric and hybrid vehicles.
If the electrical storage of composites could be boosted close to that of existing lithium-ion batteries, then it would take only the roof, the bonnet and the boot lid to power an electric vehicle for 130km, he says.
The lithium-ion batteries installed on the Boeing 787 are inherently unsafe, says Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and owner of electric car maker Tesla.
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Automakers are scrambling to get lithium ion batteries into hybrid vehicles, and they are hoping these batteries will make plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles possible soon, too.
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