Research: The electric vehicle batteries report
Date published: Thursday, December 02, 2010
Description
The market for hybrid-electric vehicles, although still small at only about 1.4% of the global new vehicle market in 2010, has been well established for some years and has stimulated vigorous research and development in the battery sector in attempts to reduce the cost, size and weight of the necessary electrical storage device while maintaining or increasing its storage and power delivery capacity. Now, with plug-in hybrids, electric-only vehicles and fuel cell vehicles approaching the point of entering the market in mass-production volumes, R&D has intensified and substantial investments are being made worldwide in production facilities for automotive propulsion batteries.
While lithium-based batteries are currently receiving the most attention, research continues with a wide range of alternative technologies that appear to offer varying degrees of promise in terms of increased energy density, durability, safety and affordability. This quest is being supported by government grants in several countries as the automotive industry strives to comply with increasingly demanding fuel economy standards and emissions regulations, and the world faces an uncertain future regarding the supply and the cost of oil.
While the current cost of electricity as a transportation fuel makes it an appealing option, battery technology remains expensive and the realistic electric-only driving range available between battery recharges is very limited when compared to what consumers are used to from conventional vehicles. Compounding this is the lack of an extensive recharging infrastructure and concerns regarding the emissions created when recharging from fossil-fuelled electricity sources, which account for most of the world’s supply. Both of these issues represent additional sectors that will require massive, worldwide investment if they are to be adequately addressed.
Table of contents:
Executive summary
Introduction
History
Electric vehicles
Hybrid vehicles
Batteries
Types of battery
Lead-acid
Nickel cadmium
Nickel metal hydride
Lithium
Super iron
Carbon nano-tube
Nickel hydrogen
Metal-air
Super-capacitors
Size and range
Market drivers
Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids
Global
The United States
Europe
China
Hybrids
Global
North America
Europe
Japan
China
Fuel cell vehicles
Carbon dioxide emissions regulations
Europe
The United States
Canada
China
Japan
Other countries
Toxic emissions
Fuel prices
Energy security
Global oil supplies
Incentives
The United States
Europe
China
Other countries
Market barriers
Recharging infrastructure
OEMs
Technology companies
Utilities
Standards
Electricity grid capacity
Resource supplies
Rare earths
Lithium
Production capacity
Cost
Batteries
Electric vehicles
Plug-in hybrids
Non plug-in hybrids
Recharging infrastructure
Purchase premium payback
Range
Recharging time
Environmental impact
CO2 emissions
Battery recycling
Consumer preferences
Global
Europe
United States
China
Market forecasts
Batteries
Recharging infrastructure
