The ALABC also offers a monthly newsletter titled Keeping Pace which covers key happenings relating to ALABC and the important battery markets addressed in the program. To view present and past issues of our newsletter, click on the month and year you would like to download.


Issue 31 - August 2006

First ALABC HEV Demo Batteries Roll off the Line with Dramatic Performance Improvements

During the past several years the Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC) has targeted the improvement of the valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery for use in hybrid-electric vehicles.  ALABC research has identified a number of modifications that can be made to VRLA batteries to improve their performance significantly under such duty.  The design features, however, have not been tried in combination, nor tested in the field and so the ALABC launched a demonstration phase where batteries with these beneficial features are (i) constructed; (ii) performance tested in the laboratory; (iii) then evaluated in HEVs in the field.  This demonstration phase began in January 2006. 

To date, four companies have delivered the contracted batteries and initial test and performance data are incredibly encouraging.  The new batteries are being supplied by East Penn and NorthStar Batteries in North America; Tudor Exide in Europe; and Furukawa Batteries/CSIRO in Asia.  In addition, ALABC is also supporting the demonstration of a bi-polar lead-acid design from Sweden's Effpower, which is currently being road tested in a Honda Insight.

The success of these demonstration batteries has created an opportunity to communicate a very positive message about the capabilities of VRLA batteries in HEV duty, and such a campaign is now underway by the ALABC Public Affairs and Marketing Committee.  More detail on each of the batteries and vehicle test programs will be covered in upcoming issues of Keeping Pace.

In the meantime, there is a prospectus document in circulation which details a further work plan and promotion schedule for the ALABC activities in 2007 and beyond. The program for 2007-2009 is designed to complete the technical work and its demonstration in vehicles and to make sure that auto manufacturers are able to design in lead-acid for their future offerings.

 

 

2006 ALABC Members & Contractors Conference
September 26, 2006 in Athens, Greece

The ALABC Members and Contractors meeting for 2006 will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Athens, Greece on the day immediately preceding the 10th European Lead Battery Conference. The ALABC meeting is set for Tuesday 26th  September and 10 ELBC will be held on 27th, 28th and 29th Sept. Both meetings will be in the Hilton Hotel, Athens.

 

 

Keeping Pace is published by the Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC)
2525 Meridian Parkway, Suite 100, Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA
Tel:  919-361-4647     Fax:  919-361-1957     Web:  http://www.alabc.org