German battery manufacturer Akasol has unveiled its first cylindrical-cells battery system with very high energy density which it claims can boost the driving range of plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles “by more that 60%”.
The AKAModule 60 CYC battery system was in the spotlight at last week’s Battery Show Europe in Hannover.
Akasol said the compact size of the system “fits the PHEV2 standard module” and can be built into its system environment. “Despite its very high energy density (about 221Wh/kg), this 2,66kWh battery module offers a power density of up to 433 W/kg and high cycle stability in comparison to other high-energy solutions.”
The module will be available from mid-2019. It was among three products showcased in Hannover by Akasol including battery modules that use prismatic cells for electric cars.
“Both the high-performance battery systems with prismatic cells that are already available and the new high-energy battery systems operate with standardised liquid cooling that does not require exotic chemicals,” Akasol said.
Stephen Raiser, co-founder and head of development at Akasol, said: “Our new cylindrical-cells battery module allows coaches, city buses and trucks to operate reliably on long distance journeys.Since the driving range of those vehicles increases significantly, the need for charging stations will decrease considerably for many applications.”
Last November, Akasol launched production of its high-performance lithium-ion systems for commercial vehicles at its new plant in Langen, near Frankfurt.