Battery innovation means cheaper hybrid

Aussie research outfit CSIRO is not much of an innovator on the naming front. It’s latest invention is called the UltraBattery. So far, so blah.

But what it lacks in exciting nameness, it makes up for with green tech coolness.

“Previous tests show the UltraBattery has a life cycle that is at least four times longer and produces 50 per cent more power than conventional battery systems. It’s also about 70 per cent cheaper than the batteries currently used in hybrid electric vehicles,” David Lamb, who leads low emissions transport research with the Energy Transformed National Research Flagship said. […]

By marrying a conventional fuel-powered engine with a battery to drive an electric motor, HEVs achieve the dual environmental benefit of reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption.

The UltraBattery also has the ability to provide and absorb charge rapidly during vehicle acceleration and braking, making it particularly suitable for HEVs, which rely on the electric motor to meet peak power needs during acceleration and can recapture energy normally wasted through braking to recharge the battery.

The battery has now passed the 100,000 miles mark on a test vehicle. Zing!