Ion drive: a visit to EnerDel.

• Author: Slaper, Timothy F.
• Position: Reprint

It seems apparent that removing oil dependency from our economy will require removing the gas tank from cars and that batteries will largely replace those gas tanks. The type and source of those batteries, however, remains an open question. Will the United States become as dependent on importing batteries from Asia as it is dependent on importing oil now? Perhaps not. Indiana is home to EnerDel, the only U.S. manufacturer producing commercial-scale, automotive-grade lithium-ion battery systems. The company formed when Enerl (its parent company) acquired the lithiumion battery operations of Delphi Corporation. Its goal is to obviate the need for gasoline to power vehicles, either by reducing the gasoline required for operation via hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV) or by eliminating the need for gasoline entirely with fully electric vehicles (EV). The goal for the latter vehicle, charging in as little as fifteen to twenty minutes a day, is in sight, subject to the availability of fast-charging stations. This article provides an inside view of EnerDel, based on a personal visit.

Most lithium-ion battery manufacturing in the United States is limited to the assembly of bulky battery packs. These manufacturers import their batteries from Asia, bundle them into big boxes, and then adapt the software and electronics to integrate the battery packs into the vehicle. EnerDel, on the other hand, offers fully integrated electric power systems with the components largely manufactured in the United States.

EnerDel has two plants just north of Indianapolis. When I met Derrick Buck, director of battery system integration, I was checking out a prototype hydrogen-electric hybrid car. The car sat next to a stand reminiscent of the old-style gasoline pump, the uncluttered, slender iconic ones from the early days of the internal combustion engine, with a hose draped on one side. The hose in this case is a high-voltage electric cord. "With that charging station, we can recharge this vehicle in about eighteen minutes," says Buck. Buck is a Purdue University graduate and a fourth-generation auto engineer. Like the other two engineers I would meet that day, he is a Hoosier with decades of experience in the auto industry.

Buck gave me an overview of EnerDel's lithium-ion battery pack, which differs from the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries used on earlier models of HEVs. The lithium-ion was chosen for several reasons. Lithium is the third lightest element and the lightest metal. It provides superior energy and power density. The development of the lithium-ion battery over the last two decades revolutionized the mobile phone industry. Without dramatically smaller size and cost, it is unlikely the ubiquitous cell phone would have gained widespread adoption.

Right out of the gate, it was clear that product design, capabilities, and manufacturing were difficult to tease apart. "We integrate multiple chemistries for specific applications with a prismatic cell design and stacking architecture for superior performance, longevity, and safety," Buck explains. "Not only do we get better energy density, but these vehicular batteries are superior in safety and dependability." EnerDel's battery chemistry has led to improved battery stability and overcoming the thermal problems that occurred in earlier vintages of lithium-ion batteries. The batteries can also...