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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LIFE-BATTERY (Long lifespan battery for hybrid vehicles)

Teaser

Summary

The innovative LIFE-BATTERY project consists in the production of the most durable NiM-H battery for Hybrid Electric Vehicles, reaching lifetimes of 400.000 km. Moreover, the battery is extremely cost-effective reducing by 6 the current price. The main objective of the LIFE-BATTERY project is the industrialization of the battery manufacture in a pilot plant, reaching to produce up to 30.000 units in the next 6 years and commercialize them worldwide. Thus, we will contribute to foster the e-mobility, improving its main drawbacks (durability/cost), also reducing the environmental impact of battery replacements.
LIFE-BATTERY solves both battery needs: durability and cost, especially in vehicles with high mileage such as taxis and vehicle fleets. LIFE-BATTERY eliminates the need for these vehicles to replace the battery each 100.000 km. LIFE-BATTERY holds great promise for HEV drivers seeking to reduce reliability issues and long-term costs.

LIFE-BATTERY works four times more cycles than current batteries (2.000 cycles vs. 500 cycles), which therefore drives four times more kilometers (400.000 km vs. 100.000 km). Since battery damage is observed if declining fuel performance and/or sluggish acceleration has been present, LIFE-BATTERY keeps an on road better performance and fuel efficiency during more mileage without battery replacement. Consequently, the low cost LIFE-BATTERY (â‚¬1.200) is extremely cost-effective in price per km (â‚¬0.003/km vs. â‚¬0.018/km). As a result, a HEV driver who drives 100.000 km per year will replace their first battery for our LIFE-BATTERY without worrying for the next four years, saving â‚¬1.800/year (â‚¬1.200/4 years vs. â‚¬1.800/year).

Work performed

This Feasibility Study has allowed BlueLife Battery to detect new strategies and conclusions for LIFE-BATTERY project to reach the market:

From the Technical improvements of the Technical Feasibility Study we can obtain the clear conclusion that optimize the battery configuration, improve the sealing structure of the battery, incoroporate new temperature sensors and develop new advanced electrodes will be the optimal way to improve the thermal management of LIFE-BATTERY.

In the Technical Feasibility Study different actions have been detected to develop the overall pilot plant, significant profits can be squeezed out by implementing different measures and actions obtained from the previous pilot plant design developed during this Feasibility Study. Also, this activity has allowed us to define the requirements to each step in the production process and the resources we will need to implement them. Finally, we have identified the technical risk associated with the project and their proposed mitigation measures.

We also have performed a Commercial Plan, thanks to the HEVs Market Study and their Geographic Study we have identified potential taxi drivers located in different areas to guarantee the commercialization of the LIFE-BATTERY. Also, a thoroughly analysis of the HEV market sectors was helpful to define our final end users, both in Spain, UK, Europe and USA. We have signed different agreements to establish new franchises through an extensive franchises network.

The different financial ratios obtained in the Financial Feasibility Study shows the great potential of the project in the future. Also, the company will be profitable and solvent once the plant is operational and would get profits and generates sufficient cash from operating activities.

Final results

BlueLife Battery is aimed to contribute, through its own actions, to the fulfillment of the strategic objectives of LIFE-BATTERY and create an image in the market as a company that wants to be leader in battery replacement for hybrid vehicles, also becoming an alternative manufacturer of batteries and whose know-how is valued by others, never forgetting providing our stakeholders with an increased value.

The LIFE-BATTERY manufacturing process projected by BlueLife Battery is presented as a strong support of present and future to assist in the improvement of the hybrid vehicles, solving the battery lifetime problem that hybrids have today.

Thanks to the knowledge obtained from our experience on recovery the reversibility of the electrochemical reaction in the regeneration of nickel-metal hydride batteries (NiM-H) and also based on the HEVs battery replacement need, we have developed the LIFE-BATTERY project, a new NiM-H battery able to carry out 2.000 charge/discharge cycles representing an increase of four times in the battery lifespan, and moreover it is low cost. As a consequence, the cost per kilometer is six times cheaper compared to current batteries.

The decision taken by BlueLife Battery after performing this feasibility study is to develop the industrial pilot plant. During Phase 2 we will build the Pilot Plant reaching to produce up to 1.000 units/year and the target production of 30.000 units in the next 6 years by Pilot Plant scale-up. While we have already obtained 2.000 cycles of charge/discharge in our current LIFE-BATTERY prototype, we will optimize other performances of the battery, described in the following technical objectives to finally become an alternative supplier of hybrid batteries replacement allowing us to distribute and commercialize LIFE-BATTERY in Europe and worldwide.

The spread out of this technology will be a revolutionary alternative way in the maintenance of HEVs improving the e-mobility. Its high durability, low cost and product quality give a great economic efficiency, which is complemented by its strong environmental background.