Lithium Technologies (LTC) and EnerSys have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which the two companies announce they're joining forces to distribute large lithium-ion batteries. EnerSys will become the distributor of battery packs using LTC's lithium ion cells for diverse applications, thus complementing EnerSys's current lineup of lead acid battery products (for instance, this Quebec plug-in hybrid test). Enersys will focus on military and defense applications as well as stationary installations. The collaboration will help expand volumes and hopefully drive economies of scale for LTC's cells. The MOU defines a 3-year long agreement which can be extended afterwards. More information will be released by the end of the summer, when the complete agreement is signed. Full press release after the jump.

[Source: Lithium Technology Corporation and EnerSys]

In mid-February, an electric bike built by ThunderStruck Motors and Lithium Technology Corporation raced a 1/8 mile course in 7.169 seconds, setting a new record of 93 mph in the 96 volt class. The previous record was 78 mph.

The electric drag bike uses 72 of LTC's 7.5Ah DD cells and has 2 kWh of available energy. Combine that with a bike the weighs just 53 pounds and you've got the recipe for a machine that will do the 1/4 mile faster than the bikes it was racing against, some of which had 240 volts of power. I'm still looking for a picture of the bike, but you can find the official announcement of the result after the jump.

Last year, the Lithium Technology Corporation added their high-density lithium iron phosphate batteries to a Prius to display the batteries' power (supposedly, enough to get 125 mpge). in 2006, the company worked on a prototype Smart ForFour diesel-hybrid. Now, LTC has launched a new product line of those batteries for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The batteries are the largest li-ion phosphate (LiFePO4) cells in the world and range in power from 8 Ah to 40 Ah.

LTC claims in a press release (after the jump) that their large format technology means their batteries are safer and also lighter than other systems. With fewer cells to keep an eye on, the battery management system (BMS) can do a better job of balancing them and preventing voltage and heat issues. Neither the release nor the company's website mention price, but it's safe to assume a high price tag.

Yeah, you've seen plenty of companies add plug-in capability to the Toyota Prius. Generally speaking, the battery pack is enlarged to allow for greater range when operating in electric only mode and a charging system is added which allows the vehicle to be charged by plugging into a standard outlet. Of course, this is all harder than it sounds! The standard Prius is only capable of charging its batteries using the on-board internal combustion engine or under regenerative braking and is equipped with nickel metal hydride batteries. The standard batteries are usually swapped for a new pack of lithium ion batteries, which carry a greater energy density than the older nickel based batteries.

Lithium Technology Corporation has gone one step further and used a new type of lithium battery that they have developed. The composition of the batteries is different and they are known as lithium iron phosphate cells, and are considered to be safer than the more common types of lithium ion batteries. These batteries are not completely new, but have never been made in sizes this large before. With these new batteries, LTC was able to demonstrate 125 miles per gallon equilavent with their converted Prius. No price was mentioned in the article, but I expect that the batteries added a substantial amount of money to the cost of the car.

[Source: Gizmag]