ARPA-E's Recent Battery Investment, Heading in the Right Direction?

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced on Aug. 21 that twenty-two projects across fifteen states will receive a total of $36 million “to develop transformational electric vehicle (EV) energy storage systems” in order to “accelerate” commercialization of lithium batteries. The program is called Robust Affordable Next Generation Energy Storage (RANGE) program and the direction moves from energy density research for lithium batteries to the “packaging” of battery system.

From ARPA-E's press release:

“It seeks improve EV driving range and reduce vehicle costs by re-envisioning the total EV battery system, rather than working to increase the energy density of individual battery cells.  Some of the projects selected will focus on developing robust battery chemistries and architectures that would improve vehicle driving range and overall battery robustness.”

>> Information on all ARPA-E's RANGE projects is available HERE.

Arizona State University is one of the recipients and Cody Friesen, an assoc. professor at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering says, “Unlike today’s batteries which require significant packaging and protection, ASU’s non-volatile chemistry could better withstand collision because the battery would be more widely distributed throughout the vehicle,” according to a statement. “The chemistry minimizes conventional protection and controls while enabling it to store energy and provide structure, thus making vehicles lighter and safer." 

Louisville, Colorado-based Solid Power is pushing the boundaries on both the “robust” chemistry component and battery packaging. Solid Power claims its robust materials provide 3x the energy of today's commercial LI battery it site says, “Our principal innovation lies in our cathode chemistry that, when combined with conductive additive and small amounts of solid-state electrolyte, forms a composite cathode whose capacity is nearly triple that of the cathode capacity used in lithium-ion batteries. Solid Power also points to its safer battery materials as a cost advantage, requiring less in terms of safety “extras” in the packaging of battery system—equaling less weight. It site states its “materials are inherently non-volativle and non-flammable.”

My head spins with battery discussion, at times, but it seems a breakthrough has been made? I wonder if this is the White House or the DoE putting the pedal down, considering the amount of battery research money tied to the Argonne Natl Laboratory?

It's definitely not the major automakers applying pressure on the Feds or the White House. Traditional automakers want LI batteries expensive at this point, to drive up cost for the serious BEV automakers or specialty automaker, such as Tesla and Nissan. However, with this announcement, where does that leave DoE's Argonne National laboratories battery research? Hopefully, we will hear some news from the western suburbs of Chicago soon.

For more information on batteries, check back here as I will be reporting from the The Battery Show, held in Detroit from Sept 17-19. 

>> Related Battery Information: 
Daniel Abraham, Argonne National Laboratory on the Latest Lithium ION Technology (Posted on Aug 01, 2013)