The US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has awarded $2.68 million to San Diego-based Maxwell Technologies for the development of a hybrid energy storage system for automotive stop-start applications. The competitively bid contract award is co-funded by the DOE.

The 19-month program will focus on the technological and economic feasibility of adapting a 12-volt hybrid energy storage system consisting of lithium-ion batteries and Maxwell ultracapacitors to an automotive stop-start application, including the development of an improved capacitor.

“We are pleased to announce the award of this contract to Maxwell Technologies as part of USABC’s broad battery technology research and development programs,” said Steve Zimmer, Executive Director of USCAR. “These programs are essential to advance the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable increasingly efficient and affordable vehicle electrification.”

MORE: DOE to award $62.5 million to USABC to accelerate development of next-generation EV batteries

Separately, USABC has issued a request for proposal for the development of high-performance electrolytes for lithium-ion vehicle batteries. The proposed technology is expected to provide a significant improvement over existing electrolytes in one or more of the following areas:

• Selling price
• Low-temperature (-30° C) conductivity
• High-voltage stability
• Vapor pressure at 30° C
• Flashpoint
• Component purity 

Source: USCAR via Green Car Congress