Does an electric and hybrid car future pivot on the commercialization of automotive lithium ion batteries?
Lithium ion is the Holy Grail of batteries. It’s the lightest metal and offers many attractive properties. Lithium ion holds a lot of promise because there are so many chemistries in the lithium ion family. You can develop very high-power chemistries needed for hybrid electric vehicles, the pure hybrids. Then, there are modifications of those chemistries that provide advantages for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, where you’re clearly going to need more energy density. strong>So there’s not one kind of lithium battery? Exactly. That’s what it offers in terms of opportunities. And that’s why I think it’s the attractive chemistry for the electrification of automobiles. What will happen to the current hybrid battery technology, nickel metal hydride? Nickel metal hydride is the staple of the hybrid industry today. It has 100 percent market share today. It will stay a part of the industry for a number of years. But lithium ion offers too many advantages. In time, it’s going to complet
