Lighter Battery Key to Success of Hybrids
◆ JULY 10, 2006 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE 21 ◆ Lighter battery key to success of hybrids Lithium-ion offers weight, cost benefits Partsmakers winning with hybrids over nickel metal Asian, European and North American suppliers are all playing important roles in the development of hybrid powertrains. Below are some of the leading hybrid suppliers by specific part. RICHARD TRUETT AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE HIGH-VOLTAGE WIRING BATTERIES Batteries may be the key to the Lear, Hitachi, Cobasys, Delphi, future of gasoline-electric hybrids. Sumitomo Wiring, Johnson Controls/Saft, If hybrids are ever going to earn Yazaki Panasonic, Sanyo Electric automakers a profit, the cost of the batteries must decrease and the life of the battery pack increase. The number of battery suppliers also must expand so that batteries are INTEGRATED STARTER just another commodity, like wind- GENERATOR shield wipers and headlights. Bosch, Delphi, Lithium ion – the same type of Denso, Valeo powerful, compact battery in your BATTERY COOLING mobile phone and digital camera – Denso, could be the wonder battery that Johnson Controls, delivers all that and more. Visteon Virtually all of today’s hybrids use nickel-metal hydride batteries. Nickel metal has proved to be reli- INVERTERS able, but the battery packs are Bosch, Delphi, heavy, and the materials inside are Denso, Hitachi expensive compared with those in lithium-ion packs. Expensive replacement Also, most experts think that TRANSMISSIONS hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Aisin, Getrag, Prius, will need a replacement bat- GM, Honda, ZF BRAKE REGENERATION ELECTRIC MOTORS tery pack after eight years or ADVICS, Bosch, Continental, Aisin, Bosch, Continental, 100,000 miles.
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