Proterra and LG Chem Announce Co-development of New Battery Cell
Proterra's new battery facility is capable of producing over 500 megawatt hours of high voltage battery packs on an annual basis to support the growing demand for heavy-duty electric vehicle applications
BURLINGAME, Calif., Sept. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Proterra, the leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, and LG Chem, a global leader in lithium-ion batteries for automotive, stationary and consumer applications, announced co-development of a battery cell that has been optimized to meet the unique performance and safety demands of the heavy-duty vehicle market. The cell chemistry has been optimized for exceptional energy throughput capability, high charge rate acceptance, and industry leading energy density. This joint development underscores the growing market demand for high quality energy storage systems. According to Lux Research, batteries for transportation and grid storage are expected to surpass consumer electronics by next year and electric buses are cited as a primary market driver for this growing battery segment. Proterra's new Burlingame battery production facility is currently ramping production to meet demand and can produce over 500 MWh of E2 battery packs on an annual basis.
"Between Proterra's demonstrated leadership in the heavy-duty electric vehicle industry, and the company's battery expertise, Proterra has been a strong partner for LG Chem to co-develop a battery cell with for this important market," said Youngsun Kim, LG Chem vice president, marketing. "It is our commitment to be at the leading edge of designing and manufacturing advanced batteries to meet the increasing global demand coming from the electric transportation sector."
Last year, Proterra introduced the Catalyst® E2, the longest-range electric transit bus on the market. Capable of traveling up to 350 miles on a single charge, the Catalyst E2 meets the full daily mileage needs of nearly every U.S. mass transit route. For this program, LG Chem has developed an advanced battery cell to meet Proterra's highest standard in terms of performance and safety. The E2 battery packs represent the heavy-duty industry's highest pack-level energy density at 160 Wh/kg and 260Wh/L. Made from lightweight ballistic-grade materials to withstand the toughest conditions, Proterra's standard E2 pack was designed from the ground up with an emphasis on safety, durability and performance.
"Safety is paramount to our battery design philosophy," said Dustin Grace, director of battery engineering at Proterra. "We have implemented redundant layers of passive and active safety features into the architecture of the battery in concert with the vehicle itself. Deploying energy storage systems of this scale has led us down a technology path to new and advanced safety features.."
Proterra's E2 Battery Packs – Safer, Smarter and More Efficient
Proterra's ISO 26262 certified battery management system monitors cell temperature and voltage with more than 70 sensors capturing 160 different diagnostic data streams from each battery pack. E2 packs are capable of interconnection in various series and parallel configurations, with various second life and heavy-duty applications in mind. Features like liquid cooling and proprietary state of charge algorithms enable long life, rapid charge times and operation in virtually any climate. Onboard vehicle telemetry enables real-time monitoring and over-the-air updates to battery software so fleet operators can track battery performance and reap the benefits of continuous product improvement.
Flexible Financing For Transit Agencies
To increase access to its battery-electric buses, Proterra has also introduced an innovative battery-lease financing model that enables transit agencies to purchase electric buses at approximately the same price than fossil fuel-based alternatives. Park City Transit was the first to utilize Proterra's financing for six Catalyst buses that recently went into service. By taking responsibility for the performance of the batteries throughout the life of the lease, Proterra removes the operator risk, and ultimately enables more transit customers to make the transition to electric.
"It is a pivotal time in the heavy-duty vehicle market as transit, delivery and refuse services wake up to the combined benefits of electric propulsion," said Ryan Popple, Proterra CEO. "We are thrilled to be working with LG Chem to deliver best-in-class batteries to meet these unique market demands, and enable mass adoption of zero-emission battery-electric fleets."
About LG Chem
LG Chem, Ltd. is Korea's largest diversified chemical company which operates four main business units: Basic Materials & Chemicals, Energy Solutions, IT & Electronic Materials and Life Sciences. The chemical business manufactures a wide range of products, from petrochemical goods to high-value added plastics. It also extends its chemical expertise into high-tech areas such as rechargeable batteries, electronic materials and drugs & vaccines. LG Chem is also one of the world's largest lithium-ion battery manufacturers with significant market share in consumer, automotive and stationary applications. Throughout multiple production facilities and an extensive distribution network, LG Chem strives to become a leading global company. For more information, please visit the LG Chem website at www.lgchem.com.
About Proterra
Proterra is a leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, enabling bus fleet operators to significantly reduce operating costs while delivering clean, quiet transportation to local communities across the United States. With more than 400 vehicles sold to 42 different municipal, university, and commercial transit agencies in 20 states, Proterra is committed to providing state of the art, high performance vehicles to meet today's growing market demand. The company's configurable Catalyst platform is capable of serving the full daily mileage needs of nearly every U.S. transit route on a single charge. With unmatched durability and energy efficiency based on rigorous U.S. certification testing, Proterra products are proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in America, with offices in Silicon Valley, South Carolina, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit: http://www.proterra.com and follow us on Twitter @Proterra_Inc.
SOURCE Proterra
Share this article