Progress and forecast in electric vehicle batteries

With impetus provided by U.S. Public Law 94-413 (Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976), the Department of Energy (DOE) launched a major battery development program early in 1978 for near-term electric vehicles. The program's overall objective is to develop commercially viable batteries for commuter vehicles (with an urban driving range of 100 miles) and for vans and trucks (with a range of 50 miles) by the mid-1980's. Three near-term battery candidates are receiving major developmental emphasis--improved lead-acid, nickel/iron and nickel/ zinc systems. Sharing the cost with the government, nine industrial firms (battery developers) are participating in the DOE battery project. They are Eltra Corp., Exide Management & Technology Co., and Globe-Union Inc. for the lead-acid battery; Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. and Westinghouse Electric Corp. for the nickel/iron battery; and Energy Research Corp., Exide Management and Technology Co., and Gould Inc. for the nickel/zinc battery. Good progress has been made in improving the specific energy, specific power, and manufacturing processes of these three battery technologies. Current emphasis is directed toward reduction of manufacturing cost and enhancement of battery cycle life and reliability. Recently, the zinc-chloride battery was added as the fourth candidate to the near-term battery list. Testing of the zinc-chloride battery in a vehicle and evaluation of its operating characteristics are currently under way. This paper presents the development goals, the status, and the outlook for the near-term battery program.