The carbon-graphite foam, lead acid batteries created by Firefly Energy are a bit closer to production now that the company today announced a MoU with lead acid battery maker NorthStar Battery Company. This agreement means Firefly's 3D batteries should be in production by the fourth quarter of this year.

We spoke with Firefly Energy co-founder Mil Ovan a while back about these 3D batteries, which the U.S. military is also interested in. You can read our interview with Ovan here, but the short, short version is that 3D batteries use a non-corrosive carbon graphite foam grid instead of a fairly non-conductive lead metal grid in lead acid batteries. This change means less lead is used to make the batteries and the batteries "deliver four times greater power density at less than one quarter of the weight, double the life expectancy, recharge seven times faster and will cost one-tenth that of nickel metal hydride or lithium-ion battery options," according to Dan Green, our friend who does Firefly PR.

Related:

• Firefly Energy gets $5 million from U.S. Army for advanced battery tech
• AutoblogGreen Q&A with Firefly Energy co-founder Mil Ovan on new lead-acid battery tech: 3D2

[Source: Firefly / Dan Green]

Remember the carbon-graphite foam, lead acid 3D and 3D2 batteries we told you so much about a while back? Well, the U.S. Army likes what Firefly Energy has been doing with the batteries, and this week awarded the by Peoria, IL-based company $5 million to develop and manufacture the technology, according to Dan Green, who's connected to Firefly.

The Army wants the batteries for the "Silent Watch" reconnaissance program, which Green said "allows the military to watch the enemy undetected while inside ground combat vehicles." Green sent us a press release, which is available after the break, and we'll try to get an update from Firefly co-founder Mil Ovan on how the millions will change him help bring the battery to market.

Related:

• AutoblogGreen Q&A with Firefly Energy co-founder Mil Ovan on new lead-acid battery tech: 3D2

[Source: Dan Green / Tech Image for Firefly Energy]

As we mentioned the other day, Firefly Energy is setting out to change the way we think of lead-acid batteries. Mil Ovan, Firefly Energy co-founder, spoke with AutoblogGreen about this new battery technology and what it might mean for PHEVs and EVs.

As for why a company that is initially building batteries for earthmoving and lawn care products, Ovan said name Firefly came about because fireflies produce "perfect light" (that is, without generating any heat). This graphite foam core material the company is using in their new battery technology has the heat dissipation characteristics of diamonds, which are far better than aluminum and copper, Ovan said. A cooler battery lasts longer, he said, and when you think of a firefly, you think of great power to weight ratio. If you're pushing less lead down the road, you're consuming less energy, no?

Read the entire Q&A interview after the jump.