USABC Issues Battery Goals for Plug-In Hybrids

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), composed of DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors, has issued a request for proposals for advanced high-performance battery development for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV) applications. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), USABC will award contracts to developers that have electrochemical energy storage technologies capable of meeting or approaching USABC’s performance, weight, life-cycle and price criteria. The RFP submission deadline is May 31, 2007.

The USABC solicitation is part of the DOE’s FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program. USABC is a consortium of the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR). Supported by a cooperative agreement with the DOE that provides up to 50% of the USABC budget, USABC’s mission is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support commercialization of fuel-cell, hybrid and electric vehicles.