As Ford ramps up its e-powertrain
activities, E&Htravels to the car maker’s new electric vehicle development
headquarters in Michigan to catch up with its head of electrified powertrain
engineering, Kevin Layden.
“We are really kind of a halfway house
between product development and R and A (research and advanced engineering).
We’ve got very close relationships with some of the experts in the field, both
in R and A, and we’ve got some true experts in these groups. So, the battery
technology is progressing on two fronts. There are groups looking at
lithium-air – the next monster breakthrough that will give us energy density
that is two orders of magnitude better than where we are now with current
battery technology. It’s a technology that is nowhere near production, but we
have people that are smart enough to be looking at that for the future.”
You
don't get Ford Boss of Bosses Alan Mulally half-way round the world from
Dearborn USA at the drop of a hat.
On the other engineering front, Ford has an
engineering team that is constantly looking at current lithium-ion technology
in order to monitor battery degradation over time from each of the major
suppliers, including Panasonic, LG, Hitachi and Samsung. “They are looking at
the chemistry, making sure they understand the new chemistry that each of these
major suppliers is developing, and really understanding how it degrades – over
time, over hard use, over temperature extremes – so that we can be confident
and comfortable with it.
“We have vehicles in California still going
strong with nickel-metal hydride batteries after 402,000km (250,000 miles) on a
taxi cycle. We’re really happy with our lithium-ion products today and we are
going to be even happier as we go into the future with them.”
Major Battery Breakthrough
Ford and Samsung SDI, an affiliate of
Samsung Group, have announced research findings on different levels of battery
technology that the partners say could one day be produced in high volume on
non-hybrid vehicles for greater fuel savings.
The result of a 10-year research effort,
the dual-battery system combines a lithium-ion unit with a 12V lead-acid
battery that could enable regenerative braking in non-hybrid vehicles, thus
improving emissions output as well as fuel economy.
The
ultra-lightweight lithium-ion battery will be 12 pounds lighter than a standard
lithium-ion battery. The Ford and Samsung battery collaboration was announced in
conjunction with the Ford Lightweight Concept vehicle, which also utilizes a
number of light-weighting techniques to improve vehicle efficiency.
“We are currently expanding our auto
stop/start technology across 70% of our line-up, and this dual-battery system
has the potential to bring even more levels of hybridization to our vehicles
for greater energy savings across the board,” explains Ted Miller, senior
manager for energy storage and research at Ford. “Although still in research,
this type of battery could provide a near-term solution for a greater reduction
of carbon dioxide.”
The partners are also researching a
longer-term ultra-lightweight lithium-ion battery that could one day render
traditional lead-acid batteries obsolete. As part of the goals of the project,
the partners are also advancing lithium-ion battery technology that’s currently
available on Ford’s electrified vehicles.
“Lithium-ion batteries are typically used
in consumer electronics because they are lighter and more energy dense than
other types of batteries, which also make them ideal for the vehicle,” adds Mike
O’Sullivan, VP for automotive battery systems for Samsung SDI North America.
“Battery technology is advancing rapidly and lithium-ion could one day
completely replace traditional 12V lead-acid batteries, providing better fuel
efficiency for drivers.”
Lithium-ion batteries currently used in
Ford’s electrified vehicles are up to 30% smaller than previous hybrid
batteries made of nickel-metal hydride, and offer approximately three times the
power per cell.
Ford
and Samsung have combined a lithium-ion battery with a 12-volt lead-acid unit,
creating a new, lighter, and more flexible power source. The new concept has
massive potential for fuel savings, as the lithium-ion component can be
recharged through regenerative braking.
The ultra-lightweight battery concept
offers a weight reduction of up to 40% – or 5.4kg in the real world. Combining
the battery with other weight-reduction solutions, such as the Ford Lightweight
Concept vehicle, could lead to additional savings in size and weight of the
overall vehicle, as well as far increased efficiencies and performance.
