Nilar

Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle

Heavy duty hybrid vehicle manufacturers are currently developing hybrid functionality in some of their models. This technology is particularly interesting for vehicles built for inner city use; where, due to frequent stop/starts, the ability to absorb the significant amount of energy associated with a moving heavy vehicle, enable a HEV to meaningfully increase fuel economy. Additionally HEVs offer lower vehicle emissions in already congested areas. NiMH is the obvious solution for these applications, due to lithium ion’s safety and lifetime issues and lead acid’s weight and lifetime issues. An estimated 800,000 heavy trucks are sold per year in North America alone and a further 650,000 in the European Markets. Nilar estimates that 20% of this market will convert to some form of electric-hybrid solution by 2020 which would result in a potential addressable market of at least $1.2 billion. According to Lux Research the market for batteries to heavy hybrids will grow from $110 million in 2010 to $642 million in 2016. These estimates exclude military markets.

Heavy duty hybrid vehicle producers often view the purchasing process with a total cost of ownership perspective. As long battery life and low maintenance, are key determinants in such a perspective, Nilar is well positioned to take advantage of this market opportunity.

Volatile fuel prices and tightening emission requirements have put pressure on vehicle manufacturers to find alternative fuels and motive technologies. The pressure is especially evident in the heavy duty vehicle market with high operating costs and a requirement for long life performance. Although the applications are varied, fleet managers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in understanding the anticipated recovery period from fuel savings offsetting the incremental cost of new drive train technology for a given duty cycle. The problem remains that existing technologies are too expensive and do not offer fast enough payback in all but a handful of applications. The energy storage technology, usually a battery, is the primary cost driver for hybrid drive applications. Battery options are either too big or too expensive to serve the majority of the market. Manufacturers need another safe alternative, which is more volumetrically  fficient and reduces the incremental cost of the total hybrid drive system.

A long term relationship was initiated with a major heavy duty vehicle manufacturer in Sweden in 2007 through what was initially a two year development project. The aim of the project was to evaluate the possibility of using Nilar NiMH bipolar batteries in hybridization of heavy duty vehicles. As a result from
the development project, a new project has been initiated with the aim of providing bipolar NiMH battery modules for thorough testing and evaluation in accordance with the customers’  equirements before field testing.