The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium — a collaborative organization operated by Chrysler Group, Ford Motor Co., and General Motors — is soliciting business proposals for the development of advanced high-performance batteries for electric vehicle applications.
The request for proposal information, or RFPI, is focused on the development of high-energy-to-power-ratio batteries. Specifically, the RFPI is aimed at developers with electrochemical energy storage technologies that are capable of meeting or approaching the Big Three’s commercialization criteria for cells and systems by fiscal year 2020.
“Market acceptance of hybrid and electric vehicles requires that they meet customer expectations for range, performance, and life to be competitive with conventional vehicles,” says Steve Clark, senior manager of electrified powertrain engineering at Chrysler. “Advanced batteries are the key for meeting these customer expectations and are fundamental to successful hybrid- and electric-vehicle commercialization and market growth.”
The R&D effort seeks to offer an advanced energy storage cell first and then, if justified by the integration system experience, build a system based on state-of-the-art-technologies to meet or surpass the consortium’s technical requirements. 


Among the criteria, developers submitting proposals will be required to have demonstration hardware and test results available. They also will need to demonstrate the potential to develop a commercially viable business that can produce sufficient volumes and provide engineering and testing support. 


In addition, the Big Three are asking that prospective partners share costs, as much as 50 percent. The submission deadline is Oct. 31. For more information, visit uscar.org/usabc.
Enabled by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy, the consortium aims to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support commercialization of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles.
