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Automotive Electrochemical Power Systems

Hybrid Vehicles

Mostly Electric Vehicles

Require lower cost, higher energy density battery

All-Electric Vehicles

Require lower cost, higher energy density, higher power density battery

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Vehicular Batteries Are Widely Used;

Vehicular Fuel Cells Are Widely Discussed

All batteries contain the anodic reactant , but notnecessarily the cathodic reactant, which can be O2

In fuel cells, the anodic reactant is stored in anexternal reservoir

The apparent, but not the true, power density of fuelcells is higher than that of batteries

When the weight (or volume) of the reactant-reservoir, plumbing and fuel pumps are added, fuelcells loose their apparent advantage

The successful fuel-efficient hybrid carshave batteries, not fuel cells

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Why GM Lost Market Share

Because of the low taxation of gasoline in the US and

its high taxation in Japan

While engineering-led Honda (with Sanyo) and Toyota

(with Matsushita-Panasonic) engineered the nickel-metalhydride battery for hybrid cars,

Marketing-led GM aimed, through its Hy Wire/Sequel

project, at sustaining its image as the advanced engineer,

building a hydrogen fueled, fuel cell-powered dream car

GM Hy-Wire PEFC car

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GMs Statement (Verbatim )

While GM is serious about delivering innovative

solutions for the environment and safety, were

just as serious about performance. And we

havent forgotten that cars should still be fun.People are passionate about driving. And nothing

could be more fun to drive than the Sequel. Wheel

hub motors deliver unprecedented torque and

instant acceleration, providing a unique drivingexperience. As GM chairman and CEO Rick

Wagoner puts it, Sequel excites the driving

enthusiast within us. Hows that for reinvented?

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Electrode Reactions of the Hybrid

Car BatteriesAnode (metal-hydride) (LaNi5 lattice structure)

MH M + H+ + e-

M= (rare earth) (transition metal)5

Transition metal= Ni3.2Co1.0Al0.2Mn0.6

Cathode (hydrated nickel oxide with carbon)

NiOOH + H+ + e- Ni(OH)2

Cell: Ni(OH)2 + M NiOOH + MH

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Design Principles of Hybrid Vehicle

Battery Materials Cycle-life: To prolong the cycle life, only

protons and electrons (hydrogen atoms) are

added or stripped in the reduction/ oxidationcycles. Adding or stripping hydrogen atoms

does not change the phase or the morphology

Power density and rapid charging: High

proton (hydrogen) permeability provides forrapid charging and discharging (i.e. power)

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Current RD&E Objectives of the

Hybrid&

Electric Vehicle Consortia

Lower the cost of the electrode materials

Lighter electrodes for a higher energy

density battery

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A High Risk, High Payoff Research Option:

An Air Cathode for a Vehicular Battery

Proposed approach: Improve the efficiency,

lessen the sensitivity to poisoning and

reduce the cost of the O2-electroreduction

catalysts by replacing the platinum alloys

with nature-mimicking synthetic 3-Cu atom

(or 3-Ag atom) cluster-based catalyst Impact: Air cathode would provide for a much

lighter, much lower cost power system