JCI Plans Cheaper, Simpler EV and Hybrid Batteries

Batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles don't need to last 10 years and can be less expensive, according to Johnson Controls Inc.

Brian Kesseler, president of JCI's Power Solutions division, tells Automotive News that JCI is developing EV batteries that can be replaced after a few years about the same interval as for a standard starter battery.

One hurdle is creating a standardized design that can be mass-produced cheaply but is flexible enough to be reconfigured to meet different carmakers' needs, Kesseler notes. He points out that a lithium-ion battery that lasts just four years could be produced for lower cost, which would reduce the vehicle price upfront and lower the battery replacement cost.

Kesseler adds that shorter-life batteries wouldn't require the same level of expensive cooling and redundant cell configurations needed to protect batteries with a 10-year life expectancy.

JCI make a 48-volt battery now that is used in vehicle stop-start systems. Kessler says JCI's goal is to create a lithium-ion battery with less than 60 volts of capacity that can be replaced in EVs for a few hundred dollars in a simple procedure much like the process of replacing a lead-acid battery in a conventional vehicle.