Building a functioning electric car is far from rocket science. In fact, electrics actually pre-date gasoline internal combustion power. Building an electric car that meets and exceeds consumer needs in terms of range, performance, drivability, and safety at an acceptable price point is the hard part.
And when it comes to price and performance, it’s all about the battery. An advanced technology battery can easily account for half the cost of an electric car running solely on battery power. While somewhat less challenging for a plug-in hybrid or range-extended electric car since these use smaller battery packs, it's still very much an issue with engineers and product planners alike. Battery technology is advancing at a rapid pace, but for the modern electric car, rapid doesn’t seem fast enough.
One of the most graphic examples of just how far battery technology has come in the past 12 years is presented by comparing the battery pack fitted to GM’s EV1 to the current Volt battery pack. Both batteries take on the now familiar ‘T’ shape, but the EV1’s first-generation lead-acid pack was nearly twice the size, and at 1,200 pounds three times the weight, of the considerably more powerful 375 pound lithium-ion pack that will power the Volt.
We recently had the opportunity to tour GM’s advanced battery lab just outside Detroit for the second time. Our latest peek inside was of GM’s new and improved $25 million Global Battery Systems Lab in the automaker’s Warren, Michigan Technical Center. At 33,000 square feet, the facility is a state-of-the-art testament to GM’s commitment not only to the Volt and Voltec programs, but to future advanced electric powertrain systems that will include hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. In the midst of a troubled year for the world’s second largest automaker, the emphasis this facility places on cleaner, greener vehicles is clearly a bright spot worth shouting about.
The new facility employs over 1,000 engineers and technical employees primarily focused on the Volt program. GM also has battery labs in Mainz-Kastel, Germany and Honeoye, New York, with the ability to videoconference and share information on a real-time basis. The new Warren lab has a maximum power capacity of 6 megawatts, or more than 1,500 American homes. It has 32 battery cyclers running around the clock to measure battery longevity and performance, and 42 thermal chambers that put the cells through extreme temperature and humidity tests. The lab also employs a thermal shaker table to test durability and structural integrity of the battery packs.
Last January, GM announced it will build its Volt battery packs in a new assembly plant to be located in Michigan. Production tooling is scheduled to be installed by mid-2010 with production to follow later in the year. Lithium-ion cells will be supplied by LG Chem with assembly in the ‘T’ battery packs handled at GM’s Michigan battery plant.
To understand the complexity of the battery game, consider how far GM has come with the project since it was announced just a few short years ago. More than 155 unique battery chemistries from 115 different suppliers were analyzed at the outset of the program. From those, 60 chemistries from roughly 20 suppliers were tested in GM labs around the world. To date, GM has evaluated more than 14,200 cells.
Nobody said that bringing the revolutionary Volt to market would be easy. From what we’ve seen, the gloomy news from Detroit and Washington has only made the GM Volt team more committed than ever to make this car a reality that not only meets, but exceeds, expectations.
