By enabling increased power at low temperatures, Nanophosphate EXT is expected to substantially improve the cold-cranking capabilities of A123's lithium ion 12V Engine Start battery.

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Johnson Controls is also increasing its production capacity of advanced battery types like Absorbent Glass Mat that power start-stop vehicles and Li-ion that power hybrid and electric vehicles.

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Johnson Controls serves this market by providing a variety of automotive batteries like lead-acid for traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) for start-stop vehicles and Li-ion for hybrid and electric vehicles.

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And if the problem does finally turn out to be a fundamental issue with lithium-ion batteries, other manufacturers will start to have problems, too: Airbus uses similar batteries on their A380 superjumbo jet.

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He said the nature of lithium ion batteries means no fire extinguisher system will stop them from burning once they start.

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Cellphone maker Motorola is among the start-up's earliest backers and is the world's second-largest buyer of Li-ion batteries.

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