Johnson Controls withdrew from A123 Systems bankruptcy auction

Following the announcement by A123 Systems that it that reached agreement to sell most of its assets to Wanxiang for $256.6 million (earlier post), Johnson Controls announced that it had officially withdrawn from the bankruptcy auction when it declined to match the higher bid submitted by Wanxiang. Johnson Controls and NEC had submitted complementary bids, Johnson Controls for the automotive and government assets and NEC for the grid and commercial assets.

Johnson Controls originally made a $125-million bid for A123’s automotive business. (Earlier post.)

The final sale to Wanxiang is subject to approval by the bankruptcy court. A hearing is currently scheduled for 11 December. Sale to Wanxiang is also subject to review by the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and requires approval by the US government.

While A123’s automotive and government assets were complementary to Johnson Controls’ portfolio and aligned with our long-term goals, Wanxiang’s offer was beyond the value of those assets to Johnson Controls. Reports by other parties that our proposal involved an elimination of jobs in Michigan are inaccurate.

—Alex Molinaroli, president, Johnson Controls Power Solutions

Johnson Controls launched the first US facility to produce complete Li-ion battery cells and packs for hybrid and electric vehicles, in Holland, Mich. The company was recently named as one of the industry leaders in the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research $120-million energy research hub led by Argonne National Lab and funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE). (Earlier post.) In 2009, Johnson Controls was awarded a $299-million matching grant by the DOE under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to build domestic manufacturing capacity for advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Saft to provide Li-ion energy storage system for wind project in Saskatchewan

Saft has been selected by Cowessess First Nation (CFN) to design, produce and install a battery energy storage system (ESS) including two Intensium Max 20E lithium-ion battery containers as part of the High Wind and Storage Project near the City of Regina, Saskatchewan.

The Regina project is the first wind power application for Saft in North America. The grid-connected ESS system will help optimize renewable wind power performance by increasing reliability and decreasing volatility by as much as 70% over the 15-year lifespan of the system. Each Li-ion ESS includes a 400 kW Power Conditioning System for use in conjunction with an 800 kW utility scale wind turbine.

The system is designed to harness intermittent wind power and provide a more continuous and predictable output for both on-grid and off-grid applications. The High Wind and Storage Project will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce electrical production costs, provide more renewable power to the grid and potentially lower electrical rates since the battery can be charged during off-peak periods and dispatched during periods of peak usage.

Saft has demonstrated that this base system can perform wind smoothing and achieve a maximum ramp rate of 10% per minute of the rated power output of the 800 kW wind turbine while also providing up to 400 kWh of peak shaving capability. The flexibility and scalability of Saft’s solution also allows the energy content to be increased in 124 kWh increments up to 992 kWh if additional peak shaving capability is desired.

The installation is scheduled to begin operation in early 2013.

CFN is running the project in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Research Council. The project has received funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy Fund, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s ecoEnergy Fund and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment’s Go Green Fund.

Source: Green Car Congress

Johnson Controls Launches Demo Drive Website to Educate Consumers on Advanced Vehicle Technology

Johnson Controls, Inc., launched its Demo Drive website to educate consumers on the benefits of advanced vehicle technology. This interactive tool allows consumers to compare fuel usage, CO₂ emissions and travel costs among a vehicle with a standard internal combustion engine, a Start-Stop vehicle, and a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV).

Recent research has demonstrated that a majority of consumers don't know the difference among the different types of advanced technology vehicles. We built Demo Drive so that consumers can see for themselves how the various types of vehicle technologies can positively impact their life. It allows people to pick a driving style that is closest to their own and see the cost and emissions benefits of two of the most realistic and globally available technologies - hybrid and start-stop.

—Mary Ann Wright, global vice president for technology and innovation at Johnson Controls Power Solutions

Users choose one of six driving styles such as “countryside commuter” and “motorway maven” that most resembles their daily vehicle usage and follow the virtual route while learning how vehicle performance varies among several engine applications along the way. The interactive Demo Drive experience is intended to give consumers a better understanding of and appreciation for how the various advanced technologies would impact their pocketbook and the environment. Consumers will also be able to share their findings and discuss further on a dedicated Facebook page at www.facebook.com/demodrive.

Demo Drive is one element of Johnson Controls’ global strategy to raise awareness about the spectrum of vehicle technology available to consumers who want to improve fuel economy and decrease CO₂ emissions on their vehicle.

Johnson Controls is the leading supplier of Start-Stop batteries through its VARTA Start-Stop brand, currently providing more than 3 million Start-Stop batteries a year with plans to invest more than $350 million globally over the next two to three years.

Johnson Controls, through its joint venture Johnson Controls-Saft, is also a leading global supplier of Lithium-ion advanced battery systems for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Source: Green Car Congress

Norwegian Post becomes first European customer for Transit Connect Electric van with 20-unit purchase; targeting 30% reduction in CO2 by 2015

Norwegian Post Ford Transit Connect Electric. Copyright: Norwegian Post. Click to enlarge.

Norway Post has signed a contract to purchase 20 Transit Connect Electric vehicles, with an option to order more vehicles in the future. Norwegian Post is the largest provider of mail and logistics services and the biggest employer in Norway; the organization is targeting a 30% reduction in its CO₂ emissions by 2015.

With a 28 kWh battery pack from Johnson Controls-Saft, Transit Connect Electric has a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) and a range of up to 130 km (80 miles) on a full charge. Ford and Azure are introducing the Transit Connect Electric in summer 2011.

The Norwegian Post will be an environmental leader in the mail and logistics industry by taking advantage of the latest technology available. In signing a contract for delivery of the new Ford Transit Connect Electric, the Norwegian Post is taking an important step towards its goal of reducing 150.000 tonnes of CO2 annually.

—Dag Mejdell, CEO Norwegian Post

Transit Connect Electric offers a cargo volume of 3.8 m³ and a payload of 500 kg. It can be recharged using standard European 220/240-volt outlets in approximately eight hours.

The Azure Force Drive system includes a liquid-cooled Siemens 3-phase AC induction motor, 300V nominal, that delivers 158 N·m continuous and 235 N·m (peak); a Borg-Warner 31-03 single speed transmission with gear ratio of 8.28:1; an Azure Dynamics inverter; and a 3.3 kW charger. The 28 kWh battery pack comprises 16 modules (192 cells).

Transit Connect Electric builds on an existing relationship between Ford and Azure Dynamics and battery supplier Johnson Controls-Saft. Glider units are shipped from the Ford Otosan manufacturing facility in Kocaeli, Turkey, directly to an Azure-contracted up-fitter for final assembly. The completed Transit Connect Electric vehicles are then sold by Azure Dynamics through a specially-created network of dealerships. The European Transit Connect Electric will be badged with both the Ford Blue Oval and Azure’s Force Drive logo.

Norwegian Post. With its plan to reduce CO₂ emissions by 30% by the end of 2015, Norwegian Post will meet the targets set in the Norwegian parliament’s Climate Settlement.

Norwegian Post has identified 10 specific areas in which CO₂ cuts can be made. These measures cover a wide range, from the use of electric cars to the optimization of driving routes.

80% of the mail distributed in Norway is sent by train when possible. In Trondheim city center, Norwegian Post is introducing mail distribution with alternative vehicles such as bicycles and trolleys.

By 2015, Norway Post aims to replace 1,300 fossil-fuel cars with electric cars and other alternative vehicles.

Source: Green Car Congress

Johnson Controls Unviels Next Generation Lithium Ion Battery - ie:3

Cutaway of the new pack in the ie:3 demonstrator. Click to enlarge.

Johnson Controls unveiled its next-generation Li-ion battery cell and pack, applied in the new ie:3 (“inspired efficiency”) battery-electric demonstrator vehicle (BEV) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Johnson Controls Saft hard-case prismatic 30 Ah cell (the 30M) uses NMC cathode materials—a mixed oxide material containing nickel, manganese and cobalt—and is targeted for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. For application in the ie:3, Johnson Controls paired the cells in parallel, for a 60Ah unit.

For the ie:3 demonstrator, Johnson Controls designed a 23.7 kWh pack comprising 216 cells that fits completely under the floor. The new prismatic format (which still needs to be finalized, according to Johnson Controls) achieves greater packaging efficiency and uses less space.

The cooling loop is isolated from the pack compartment itself, and utilizes a baseplate that can be thermally managed according to automakers’s desires—i.e., using air or liquid.

Johnson Controls envisages the ie:3 small car as having a 100-mile (161 km) electric range enabled by that size pack, equipped with the NMC cells.

Packaged differently, Johnson Controls noted, the new cell will also be effective in a plug-in hybrid application.

Source: Green Car Congress

Introducing the Chery Ruilin M1 EV Featuring Lithium Ion Batteries

Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. officially launched its first Li-ion battery-powered EV, Ruilin M1, powered by a Li-ion phosphate battery pack from China BAK, at the 25^th World Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition (EVS).

The electric M1 has a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) and can cover 150km (93 miles) on a single charge.

In addition to the Ruilin M1, Chery also presented four other new EV solutions powered by China BAK’s lithium-ion phosphate batteries, including Ruilin X1, Chery A5, Ruilin G5 and an additional model of its M1 series.

Currently, we are the only lithium-ion battery supplier to power Chery’s electric vehicles and will continue to expand our cooperation with Chery. In the future, we anticipate revenue and market share growth from our EV business as we gradually increase production of our high-power cells to meet anticipated market demand.

—Xiangqian Li, CEO of China BAK

Chery uses a NiMH battery system from Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions in the hybrid A5 ISG sedan.



Source: Green Car Congress

State of Michigan to Invest $543.5 Million in Battery Manufacturing

As a resident of the State of Ohio, I am bred with an innate loathing of all things Michigan. However, knowing the economic crunch that both Ohio and Michigan currently find themselves, I am somewhat awed by the bold steps that State up north are taking.

Michigan is awarding more than one-half billion dollars in tax credits to four companies; Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions LLC, KD Advanced Battery Group LLC, A123Systems Inc., and LG Chem-Compact Power Inc. for the express purpose of having their production facilities in state. In return, the companies will invest more than $1.7 billion to bring their plants to fruition.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand this means more jobs, more local taxes and more state taxes as the businesses mature. This is very forward thinking on the part of Michigan politicians and I wish I could say that Ohio was doing likewise, but I cannot. The hope is that the US automakers survive and then can choose a battery company to supply their needs for hybrid and EV models in the future. Currently, the Chinese have taken the lead in battery production, especially Li ion varieties.

The state refundable tax credits will help the companies in their quest for some of the $2 billion in federal grants for advanced-battery research and development. Facility locations will be determined pending final site selection decisions by the companies, but you can rest assured they will not be located far from Detroit.

Today marks a defining moment for Michigan's future as we see a new industry begin to take root and grow new jobs. Thanks to the most aggressive economic strategy of any state in the country, Michigan, the global center of automotive research and development, is positioned to lessen the nation's dependence on foreign oil and become the advanced battery capital of the world.

—Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm