News Briefs

The Case for Lead-Acid/Carbon Batteries in Power-Assist Hybrids Continues to Strengthen

The clear advantages that any lead-acid battery offers over batteries based on alternative chemistries include:

  1. The highest recycling rate of any industrial product - far higher than for any other battery.
  2. No flammable components.
  3. They are already manufactured in the huge numbers required for automobiles and thus require no vast capital expenditures for new factories.
  4. They are the least expensive by far. For a 1kWh battery, as used in power-assist hybrids:
    • NiMH $2000 (J. German at AABC 2008)
    • Li Ion $1000 (Future cost (not yet realized). Takashita at AABC 2008)
    • VRLA $250

The one factor that prevented the consideration of a lead-acid solution for the price problem of current hybrids was that, until very recently, the lead-acid battery could not cope with the high-rate-partial-state-of-charge (HRPSoC) duty that is required in hybrids.

Now, however, a simple modification involving the incorporation of certain forms of carbon in the negative plate has resulted in a revolution in the HRPSoC performance of lead-acid batteries.

Lead/acid/carbon batteries are able to do all that is required of a battery in a power-assist hybrid and this is being confirmed in a series of vehicle demonstration projects that are being managed by the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC)…

News Briefs

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A collaborative approach to improving health and environment in Trail, British Columbia

Targets to reduce lead emissions and reduce blood lead levels in young children have been exceeded and a multi-stakeholder ten year programme combining capital improvements … Continue Reading

Encouraging lead recycling in The Philippines

The Return your batteries program led in its first year to a 100% increase in the collection rate of used lead acid batteries for vehicles … Continue Reading

IFCS Seeks Global Ban on Lead in Paint

The Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) – a discussion forum for governments, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs, which operates under the World Health Organisation (WHO) … Continue Reading

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