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Despite their work, the U.S. battery makers don't stack up well globally. U.S. automakers' enthusiasm for electric vehicles died a decade ago, when GM's allelectric EV1 proved to be a flop.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/A123Systems_Li-Ion_pack_configuration.jpgKeith Naughton - Newsweek - Nov. 22, 2008

Implication even battery progress in laptops and consumer electronics was hampered by the shelving of the EV1 -- Ed.

The energizer bunny is nowhere to be found inside the suburban Milwaukee research lab run by Johnson Controls (http://www.newsweek.com/related.aspx?subject=Johnson+Controls+Inc.). But all around the facility, behind signs marked DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE, blue-coated workers are torturing a new generation of batteries, testing whether they, like the fuzzy commercial icon, can keep going … and going. In one building, this work is done inside hulking Thermotron machines, which look like extras from the movie "Monsters, Inc."

Nesting inside are lithium-ion batteries being repeatedly cooled to 40 below zero, heated to 185 above and run continuously to mimic 150,000 miles of driving in an electric car. Today most of this business's revenue comes from old-fashioned car batteries. But here in the research lab, there's an urgent focus on perfecting these next-generation models. "Up until now, this has been a science project," says Alex Molinaroli (http://www.newsweek.com/related.aspx?subject=Alex+Molinaroli), the unit's president. "What's changed is, this is moving to a much larger strategic issue for our industry, for our country and for the planet."
....http://www.newsweek.com/id/170341

Time to pull out my favorite conspiracy.


GM makes the EV1
GM Kills the EV1
GM sells the patents for the EV1 to Texaco
Texaco is bought by Chevron
Chevron burns the patents (will not license at any price)


This is the primary reason why the car companies are fighting to make LiON batteries. Large NiMH battery production would have to be OK'd by Chevron and they have categorically refused to OK any request to date.

http://ev1.org/chevron.htm

May be BS, but makes for a good read. I for one believe it.

11011011

Doesn't the patent expire in 2012? If this is the case I expect way cheaper EVs to appear shortly after.

I wish it had expired on 2002 instead. :(

Time to pull out my favorite conspiracy.


GM makes the EV1
GM Kills the EV1
GM sells the patents for the EV1 to Texaco
Texaco is bought by Chevron
Chevron burns the patents (will not license at any price)


This is the primary reason why the car companies are fighting to make LiON batteries. Large NiMH battery production would have to be OK'd by Chevron and they have categorically refused to OK any request to date.

http://ev1.org/chevron.htm

May be BS, but makes for a good read. I for one believe it.

11011011

It's not a conspiracy if we know about it. It's just business. :)

I've always believed & mentioned that the NiMH patents don't expire for another 6 years, and until then Chevron can refuse to offer large scale EV NiMH production.

But just today I came across the settlement between Toyota, others & Ovonics/Cobasys/Chevron.......

http://www.ovonic.com/PDFs/Financial_Reports/form_8k/8k_mbi_patent_infringe_settlement_7july04.pdf

which seems to indicate that an increase in sales for commercial use can occur as soon as 6/30/10?

If that's the case, it would jive with Toyota's dedication to NiMH, skepticism about Li-Ion, and current testing of PHEV-6s in Japan & California based upon two 1.3 Kwh NiMH packs.

If this is correct that is totally awesome, Marc! :woot:

Eminent domain may allow the government to buy from Chevron to further jumpstart EVs.

I'm not generally a proponent of expanding this legal doctrine, but it is happening, and the patents are property...

I think this is good.

If it does not happen, I'd hope it gets at least as much bad publicity as the Detroit to Washington private jet furor.

Eminent domain may allow the government to buy from Chevron to further jumpstart EVs.

I'm not generally a proponent of expanding this legal doctrine, but it is happening, and the patents are property...Judging by how much Chevron donated to the Republican and Democratic parties, I think the chances of Washington going against the wishes of it's campaign financiers is nil to none.

11011011

It's possible: Ken Lay was disowned by this administration.

Dan, thanks for bringing this up again (since, as many of you already know, this is one of my favorite topics). Think of the enormous amount of money sunk into all these automakers' efforts to make Li-ion batteries workable and safe in automobiles. Not all wasted effort by any means, but while we're waiting for those to become viable we have NOTHING (in terms of BEVs) thanks to Chevron/Texaco's obstinance on this issue.

The patent expires in 2015. I hadn't heard about the mid-2010 milestone before, which is GREAT news. I hope this will lead to the availability of the truly large-format batteries (in the range of 50Ah) that will be needed to make BEVs viable.

^^ Hear hear!

Offer Chevron Carbon Credits in exchange for the patents.

Offer Chevron Carbon Credits in exchange for the patents.I don't think Carbon Credits have any value unless we sign Kyoto (sp).

11011011

Too much supply and no demand :)

Time to pull out my favorite conspiracy.


GM makes the EV1
GM Kills the EV1
GM sells the patents for the EV1 to Texaco
Texaco is bought by Chevron
Chevron burns the patents (will not license at any price)


This is the primary reason why the car companies are fighting to make LiON batteries. Large NiMH battery production would have to be OK'd by Chevron and they have categorically refused to OK any request to date.

http://ev1.org/chevron.htm

May be BS, but makes for a good read. I for one believe it.

11011011

It gets even better. Cobasys, the company Chevron-Texaco called Ovanics purchased it's 50% share in, will only sell their nickel-metal-hydride batteries to large volume purchasers. So, ironically, GM purchases these batteries for its Saturn Vue Sedan 'hybrid and its Chevy Malibe 'hybrid'.

It's not a conspiracy if we know about it. It's just business. :)...

But just today I came across the settlement between Toyota, others & Ovonics/Cobasys/Chevron.......
http://www.ovonic.com/PDFs/Financial_Reports/form_8k/8k_mbi_patent_infringe_settlement_7july04.pdf

which seems to indicate that an increase in sales for commercial use can occur as soon as 6/30/10?...

The Republicans/Conservatives would say it's a case of the free market encouraging the most needed products to the marketplace at the best time.

I say its a case of unmitigated greed running amok.

We needed those batteries available 8 years ago, to any buyer.

To an honest Republican - selling and hiding the battery rights is anti-competitive and unconscisable. ;)

I agree with Dan. I thought it might be a conspiracy too but I found the patents. Why would an oil company hold patents to the NIMH battery? Toyota RAV4 EV achieved over 100 MPG both city and highway. They said they stopped producing it due to the cost but a wiki article cites a gag order on a lawsuit against Panasonic and Toyota over the battery.

Patent:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6969567.PN.&OS=PN/6969567&RS=PN/6969567

http://www.google.com/patents?id=MpoHAAAAEBAJ&dq=patent:6255015&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=1&as_miny_ap=2008&as_maxm_ap=1&as_maxy_ap=2008&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=2008&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=2008

Note: Ovanic is owned by Texaco aka Chevron