'œAlliance' formed to make advanced car batteries - in the US

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 20 December 2008 14:24

Opinion and Analysis

"Sematech played a key role in improving manufacturing in the U.S. semiconductor industry, helping the industry revitalize itself, allowing the U.S. computer industry to develop and dominate the world market. Batteries will be to automobiles what semiconductors were to computers." Mr. Kane has been active in the formation of the Alliance.

“The formation of the Alliance marks a turning point for the U.S. battery industry. Alan Elshafei, CEO and founder of Alliance member MicroSun Technologies, states:  "For twenty years the United States has sat idly and watched foreign markets become the leaders in lithium-ion technology.

“I am excited by the prospects of creating this collaberation to concentrate the educational and manufacturing resources within the United States to create safer, more powerful battery cells for our markets. The Alliance represents the beginning of a new technology age in cell development and manufacture."

“U.S. auto makers are expected to play an important role in the Alliance. "U.S. truck and auto makers and representatives of the Department of Defense will be invited to serve on the Alliance's advisory board," says Alliance attorney James J. Greenberger of Reed Smith LLP. The advisory board will help the cell makers move towards standardized cell formats that will simplify manufacture and ultimately lower the costs of cells.

“Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology.

“The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline.

“Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.”

So, there you have it. Lithium ion and other advanced battery technologies are clearly of major importance to US companies, the Military, its Government and its people, and the US Government doesn’t want to see Asian countries and companies ever hold it to ransom in this field.

Hopefully this will only spur Asian and other global countries and companies to work even harder, thus increasing the competition between all sides, bringing better battery technologies to us all – not just for military uses.

Already solar technologies are having great impact in places like Africa, where electricity grids are nowhere near as advanced as in the Western world, but everyone on the planet could benefit from their own personal power generation and storage systems, from ever more efficient and long-life batteries, to ever more efficient solar power (and other renewable energy) generation.

So, hold on to your hats – the next generation of the energy revolution is underway, and in theory, we will all - eventually - benefit!