Manufacturers Co-develop Electrodes for Li-ion Car Batteries

Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions and Maxwell Technologies have announced a development collaboration through which Maxwell will produce lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery electrodes for testing and evaluation by Johnson Controls-Saft. The electrodes for Li-Ion battery applications will incorporate Maxwell's process, which has been successfully demonstrated in ultracapacitor applications. The collaboration will demonstrate optimized performance while reducing energy consumption, solvent recovery and capital investment.

"Our goal is to develop break-through technology on electrode manufacturing to reduce the cost and environmental impact of advanced automotive batteries for hybrid vehicles," says Mary Ann Wright, who leads the Johnson Controls-Saft joint venture and is vice president and general manager of Johnson Controls' hybrid business. "Maxwell has developed a unique manufacturing process that we can leverage through our global leadership in the development and manufacture of lithium-ion automotive batteries."

Through their collaboration, the two companies will evaluate the integration of Maxwell's proprietary electrode process into the mass production of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles.