Abstract
Large format, rechargeable lithium batteries are constructed from many lithium
cells. These cells are typically connected together electrically to form what
is commonly referred to as a “battery module.” Modules are then
connected together electrically to form a “battery assembly.”
Cells are used to construct modules which meet the definition of a
“battery,” subject to testing requirements which include U.S.,
European and Japanese standards and one internationally accepted standard, the
U.N. testing requirements.
With increasing size, battery manufacturers face dramatically increasing costs
and testing complexities. The benefit of such extensive testing of assemblies
is the guarantee that the Li-ion batteries will last - with unimpaired
functionality, power and safety - for the required ten years or 160,000km to
240,000km.
Using Li-ion technology in vehicles poses particular challenges. The battery
has to operate safely and reliably for the whole of the life cycle stipulated
by the vehicle manufacturer, which is at least ten years. This is achieved by
an elaborate battery management system which monitors the battery so that it
is always within the optimum working range. The electronics compare the
battery' s overall condition, temperature and energy reserves against its age.
Safety circuits prevent the energy storage unit from becoming too hot. A cell
supervision circuit (CSC) monitors the individual cells and ensures their
optimum interaction. So that cells are not permanently subjected to uneven
loads, the CSC balances the charge levels of all the cells in the battery.
Although, Pb-acid and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries still control the
transport energy storage batteries, lithium-ion batteries are currently
emerging as an alternative source. These batteries not only come in a smaller
and lighter package, but also provide twice the available power and twice the
available energy density of the incumbent NiMH technologies. The efficiency
that stems from the power and energy density solutions of lithium-ion
chemistry is enabling a new generation of hybrid and electric vehicles that
are more powerful and more energy efficient than ever before.
This iRAP report focuses on large format, high performance, rechargeable
lithium batteries and their potential use in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
(PHEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), electric vehicles (EVs), light
electric vehicles (LEVs) and heavy duty hybrid vehicles (HHEVs) which are the
next great transportation advance that will move us into a cleaner, cheaper,
and more oil-independent future.
STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
Sharp competition and legislation are pushing development of hybrid drive
trains. Based on conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, these
drive trains offer a wide range of benefits, from reduced fuel consumption and
emission to multifaceted performance improvements. The battery is the key
component for all hybrid drive trains, as it dominates cost and performance
issues. The selection of the right battery technology for the specific
automotive application is an important task which impacts on costs of
development and use. Safety, power, and high cycle life are a must for all
hybrid applications.
The greatest pressure to reduce cost is in soft hybrids, where lead-acid
batteries present the cheapest solution, with a considerable improvement in
performance needed. From mild to full hybridization, an improvement in
specific power makes higher costs more acceptable, provided that the battery' s
service life is equivalent to the vehicle' s lifetime. Today, this is proven
for the nickel- metal hydride system (NiMH system). Lithium-ion batteries,
which make use of a multiple safety concept, with further development
anticipated, provide even better prospects in terms of performance and costs.
Also, their scalability permits application in battery electric vehicles - the
basis for better performance and enhanced user acceptance.
The next generation of large format, rechargeable, lithium-ion batteries has
improved safety characteristics in part through the use of alternative,
nanosized materials, particularly phosphates. Traditional Li-ion technology
uses active materials with particles that range in size from 5 microns to 20
microns.
This report identifies the trends and strategies driving large format,
rechargeable lithium battery market segments, and focuses on detailed market
share data and quantification in transport applications including:
- electric vehicles/plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs);
- light duty (passenger vehicles);
- medium duty (trucks, etc.); and
- heavy duty (heavy equipment).
Non-road electric vehicles include:
- fork lifts, material handling equipment, personnel carriers and cleaners;
and
- airport ground support equipment (GSE) - (electrification of ground
support equipment at airports).
Electric idling initiatives (substituting electrification for petroleum-fueled idling operations) include:
- "cold ironing" - cruise ship and cargo terminals;
- locomotive electric idling; and
- truck stop electrification.
This study provides market data about the size and growth of the battery
application segments, new developments including a detailed patent analysis,
company profiles and industry trends. The goal of this report is to provide a
detailed and comprehensive multi-client study of the market in North America,
Europe, Japan, China, India, Korea and the rest of the world (ROW) for large
format rechargeable lithium batteries, and potential business opportunities in
the future.
The objectives include thorough coverage of the underlying economic issues
driving the large format, rechargeable lithium battery, as well as assessments
of new advanced nano-enabled battery that are being developed. Another
important objective is to provide realistic market data and forecasts for
large format, lithium battery usage. The study provides the most thorough and
up-to-date assessment that can be found anywhere on the subject. The study
also provides extensive quantification of the many important facets of market
developments in large format, rechargeable lithium batteries all over the
world. This, in turn, contributes to the determination of strategic responses
companies may adopt in order to compete in this dynamic market.
SCOPE AND FORMAT
The market data contained in this report quantifies opportunities for large
format, rechargeable lithium batteries. In addition to product types, it also
covers the many issues concerning the merits and future prospects of the large
format lithium battery business, including corporate strategies and the means
for providing these highly advanced products and service offerings. It also
covers, in detail, the economic and technological issues regarded by many as
critical to the industry' s current state of change.
The report provides separate comprehensive analyses for the U.S., Japan,
western Europe, China, Korea, and the rest of the world. Annual forecasts are
provided for each region for the period 2009 through 2014. Cost analysis of
large-format lithium-ion batteries, analysis of global patent activity, and
market competition and dynamics in the new technology are also targeted in the
report. The report profiles 30 companies, including many key and niche players
worldwide, as technology providers, raw material suppliers and large-format
battery assemblers.
REPORT SUMMARY
Low-cost, long-life lithium batteries are seen as essential for accelerated
development of alternative power vehicles, ranging from the now familiar
gasoline-electric hybrids that double normal fuel economy to hydrogen fuel
cell vehicles that use no petroleum.
Efficient energy storage systems for hybrid drives will acquire increasing
significance in the future. It is precisely storage systems such as
lithium-ion technology that will greatly affect the performance and costs of
hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. Preferably, small and
light systems with a simultaneously high capacity for charging and discharging
are required. Besides increasing the performance, the development work centers
on the service life of the battery systems in various drive cycles and
temperature ranges.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric cars need more robust
lithium batteries than conventional hybrids, because the batteries undergo a
more severe duty cycle, charged to the brim and then nearly drained. Today' s
large-format, rechargeable lithium batteries have a modular embedded
micro-controller battery management system (BMS), with thousands of lithium
cells connected in-loop to take care of proprietary safety, state-of-charge,
state-of-health, balancing and diagnostics algorithms, which together serve to
maximize the utility and reliability of systems solutions. They also have a
variety of available communications interfaces (CAN, J1939, RS-232, etc.) to
facilitate the seamless integration of the battery into the vehicle system.
Major findings of this report are:
- The 2009 market was estimated to be about $80 million. In 2009, we
estimate the market to be flat or going down slightly, to $77 million. In
spite of the recession, iRAP estimates the market to reach $332 million in
2014, for an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 33.9%. Midway through the
projection period, it is estimated that Li-ion batteries for HEVs, PHEVs and
EVs will be in wider use, thereby providing a large growth rate.
- Customized batteries for off-road vehicles and industrial vehicles such as
electric fork lifts, golf carts and motorized wheel chairs, will have highest
market share, reaching 51.9% of the market in 2009; by 2014, this share will
decrease to 15%. In 2014, large-format lithium batteries for HEVs, PHEVs and
EVs will have a 26.6% share of the global market, at $88 million.
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