GM's Secret for Safe Lithium-ion Batteries: Cool It!

Link to Original Article @ Edmunds Green Car Advisor

General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz raised eyebrows in battery development circles when he said recently that GM was “100 percent confident” that it has whipped the overheating problem that is hampering development of lithium-ion battery packs for electric and hybrid cars.

Now the General’s secret can be told.

Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for GM's E-Flex electric vehicle platform, told Green Car Advisor during an interview in Detroit that instead of mounting a frontal attack on battery design for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car that is under development, engineers circled around and attacked from the flank.

“We’re going to use liquid cooling,” he whispered.

Running coolant lines through the big array of lithium-ion battery cells that will store energy to propel the Volt and other models built on the E-Flex platform adds cost and isn’t as elegant as developing a battery that won’t overheat, Posawatz admitted. But it is enabling the automaker to keep on its self-appointed schedule: Volts in the market by 2010.

Failure isn’t an option, he said. GM was recently savaged in the popular documentary, Who Killed the Electric Car?, for its decision to pull the plug on its first modern electric vehicle, the EV1.

With the Volt, a car Lutz has said will be sold for under $30,000, GM has laid its reputation on the line. Asked if the project could wind up on the cutting room floor, Posawatz shook his head.

“We’d never live it down,” he said.

Now that's the kind of original thinking and "can do" attitude I like to see from GM!

"Make it so!"

Simple as that.

If they can produce this thing its gonna be HUUUUUGGGEEE!

They can, they will, they must.

I also hope that it debuts with the concept's front styling - it looks so sinister!

I even like the blue lights.

I hope GM can pull this off and have it be reliable. The Volt will be the car of the century if they can.

Edited September 15, 200717 yr by K.C.

Very cool (no pun intended, really). That front end shot blows all other green vehicles into the weeds (where they blend in).

I still think, if 10 years ago they could make the EV1, then three years from now they can make the volt

No no no....come on everyone, we all know this is just a PR piece. I mean GM can't possible beat Toyota and make the Volt...right :AH-HA_wink:

We have liquid cooling for home PCs now.... this should even be that big of an additional cost. It would certainly be less cost than rushing cooler Li-ion batteries to market and then having them fail later. It's a Win-Win-Lose solution.

GM wins - We win - Toyota loses

Awesome.

That front end shot looks BAD ASS, btw.

Right now the president of Toyota is swearing at his staff like Hilter

Right now the president of Toyota is swearing at his staff like Hilter

Probably something like

We have liquid cooling for home PCs now.... this should even be that big of an additional cost. It would certainly be less cost than rushing cooler Li-ion batteries to market and then having them fail later. It's a Win-Win-Lose solution.

Although I didn't know about the PCs, I too was thinking how expensive could it be? The engine will require liquid cooling any way. Remote cooling lines for auxiliary transmission coolers are nothing new, why not for the battery pack? How cool do the batteries need to be? The cooling system can also warm the batterers in cold climates if necessary (assuming the auxiliary engine is running).

Although I didn't know about the PCs, I too was thinking how expensive could it be? The engine will require liquid cooling any way. Remote cooling lines for auxiliary transmission coolers are nothing new, why not for the battery pack? How cool do the batteries need to be? The cooling system can also warm the batterers in cold climates if necessary (assuming the auxiliary engine is running).

PC Liquid cooling system, $170

PC Liquid cooling system, $170

Interesting! My #1 son in-law bought one of those coolers that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Worked great; costs $50.

Probably something like

Hehehe, I was thinking the EXACT same thing, lol.

Wow! That was just... Wow!

:rotflmao:

Best video I've ever seen posted on C&G!

Probably something like

That's funny but, the translation is way off! :rotflmao:

That video is freaking hilarious...

Note to GM, I know you're trying to bolster your green image and bridge the gap between now and when the Volt is ready, but enough, there needs to be a balance between doing PR and giving everything away.

That video is freaking hilarious...

Note to GM, I know you're trying to bolster your green image and bridge the gap between now and when the Volt is ready, but enough, there needs to be a balance between doing PR and giving everything away.

+1.

Time to take a Chill pill and then blast off the competitors, just like they are doing with Lambdas.

Hahah, that video is great! just FYI the actual footage (minus the footnotes, lol) is from Downfall a great film which I highly recommend. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808642134/info