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Daimler claims breakthrough in lithium-ion batteries

Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler is claiming a breakthrough in battery technology by integrating a lithium-ion battery into the climate control system of a vehicle to optimise battery performance.

The group claims to be the first in the world to integrate a Li-ion battery into a series-production vehicle. The batteries will be made by Continental.

Daimler says that Li-ion batteries work best at temperatures between 15 and 35°C. Its battery has a power to volume ratio of 1.9kW/litre, and Daimler says it also has long life and high ampere-hour efficiency.

Daimler intends to bring the new Li-ion battery to market in the series-production S400 BlueHybrid, which will be launched at the start of 2009. Claimed as "the world's most economical luxury sedan", the car uses 7.9 litres/100km of gasoline and has CO2 emissions of 190 g/km. It has an output of 220 kW and torque is 375Nm.

The batteries will be produced by Continental, which is launching volume production of them at the end of 2008. Continental also supplies the inverter and the DC/DC converter for the S400 BlueHybrid.

Conti board member Karl-Thomas Neumann said: "In the next few years we will be launching production of further lithium-ion energy storage devices for mid- and full-hybrid and electric-powered vehicles."

Last month, Johnson Controls and French battery company Saft opened what they claimed was the world's first volume automotive lithium-ion battery factory. Here's a link to the story on www.ae-plus.com then.

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