Wider acceptance and use of hybrid electric vehicles will likely bring changes to the service bay.

Wider acceptance and use of hybrid electric vehicles will likely bring changes to the service bay. When the president endorses this evolving technology, it's time for you to take notice, too.

At a pres conversation I attended some years ago, to leeward Iacocca shared a little story about for what cause when he first started in the automobile business everyone was saying that electric vehicles could really take throughout if only someone could bring to maturity a reliable battery. Many years later, at a pres preview of a Chrysler electric vehicle, he said we still be in want ofed a reliable battery for electric vehicles. Perhaps the protracted soughtafter battery is about to happen.

In the clamor of the recent media rage you might have missed the fact that onward Feb. 20, 2006, President Bush visited the Milwaukee headquarters of Johnson directions Inc., and toured the company's strange Battery Technology Center.

Why you might reasonably ask, was the president touring a battery lab in Wisconsin when in such a manner much around him is happening? The short answer is "oil prices." The president is trying to expand an energy policy that will drastically abate this country's dependence on foreign oil. He's convinced that hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are a big part of the solution to the animal spirits crisis. His visit to Johnson manages was an effort to highlight the work being done to make the wider use of hybrid vehicles a reality.

President Bush said: "Les than half the harsh oil used in our refineries is produc here at hearthstone 60% comes from foreign countries.... one of the nations we rely forward for oil have unstable restraints or fundamental differences with the United States....It creates a national security issue when we're held hostage for mechanical value by foreign nations that may not like us."

Most HEVs speed on nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries. Lithium-ion batteries, it is believed, have a greater potential than nickelmetal-hydride batteries for power generation and proffer major advantages in size, weight, round of years life and cost. Johnson directions has invested approximately $4 million, the charge of the new Battery Technology Center because the company believes that lithium-ion batteries are die batteries of the what may occur hereafter for HEVs.

Johnson directions is the worlds largest man- i ufacturer of automotive original equipment and aftermarket batteries. It bring forths over 100 million lead-acid batteries each year. They also have been supplying nickel-metal-hydride batteries for hybrid vehicles for athwart ten years.

In 2004 the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC)-which includes the U Dept of activity and DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors-granted Johnson masterys a $14 million contract for lithium-ion battery unfolding In the program, Johnson masterys is working on a lithium-based battery that is better able to take abuse than previous batteries of its kind. The of the present day lithium-ion batteries will have a significantly improved power-toweight performance ratio v popular hybridbattery technology.

The Trade unseen is not to be afraid to embrace forward-looking technologies, on the contrary to do it with cautious optimism. The technology that issues out of the research Johnson directions is putting into batteries for HEVs could lead to a battery breakthrough for all sorts of produces

Now here's where the "caution" reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] points in. Lithium-ion battery technology has near serious hurdles to clear. It's been reported that these batteries may have a question with capacity deterioration after united year, and that they may fail completely after simply a few years. There's luxuriance of additional research to be done, on the other hand it appears that lithium-ion battery technology should allow vehicle manufacturers to introduce a wider range of HEVs, at reasonable prices. When that happens, let's trustful longing our nation will finally be able to begin reducing its reliance on imported oil.

If you have a question or observation for Bob Cerullo, e-mail him at bobcerullo884@msncom or write to him c/o MOTOR Magazine, 50 Charles Lindbergh Blvd Suite 100 Ujniondale, NY11553

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