U.S.-funded project yields improved lead-acid battery tech

It may be an older technology, but nickel-metal hydride batteries are starting to get a second look from the auto industry as advancements in lithium-ion tech remains slow-going.

The Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium is one such entity embracing the further development of nickel-metal hydride batteries for automotive use and has just completed field testing of a promising new spin on the tried-and-true technology.

The ALABC announced on Thursday it has completed 100,000 miles of testing of a new nickel-metal hydride technology developed through a project co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Called “UltraBattery,” the new lead-carbon battery design provides similar performance to a typical nickel-metal hydride battery but at a “significantly lower cost.”

The batteries were tested over the last two years in a Honda Civic Hybrid, which was converted to use the UltraBattery.

“The UltraBattery is really a new spin on an old, but reliable technology,” said Don Karner, who managed the Civic battery conversion. “If the OEMs are going to make significant reductions in the cost of producing hybrid electric vehicle batteries in the near term, they will need to take a closer look at the performance of these new lead-carbon batteries.”

The UltraBattery is based on a regular lead-acid design, but use carbon-enhanced supercapacitor in one singular component, which helps to reduce overall costs and complexity.

No OEMs have yet signed up to use the UltraBattery, but ALABC's positive testing could be proof that nickel-metal hydride batteries have some legs yet.