GM's new battery for Spark EV - 86lbs lighter

1853 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by carunlock, Jun 22, 2014

SoCalGuy

Discussion Starter · May 14, 2014

GM's 2015 Spark EV uses redesigned battery that shaves off 86lbs of weight as well as improves efficiency - reducing the pack capacity by 10% while still maintaining estimated range.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-shaves-86-lbs-off-spark-ev-battery-weight.html

"The new Chevrolet Spark EV is not due for a refresh, but that hasn't stopped General Motors from improving its battery for the 2015 model year.

The company has worked with battery cell provider LG Chem to reengineer the battery system, reducing overall weight by 86 pounds compared to the pack installed in the 2014 Spark EV.

The redesigned battery appears to be capable of safely running deeper cycles, allowing the car to maintain its 82-mile range estimate using 19 kWh of storage capacity. The 2014 model utilizes a 21kWh battery pack to drive the same distance, while the rival Nissan Leaf only promises to cruise for 75 miles with its 24kWh system.

It is unclear if the lighter battery provides a slight acceleration advantage. The 2014 model is claimed to reach 60 mph from a standstill in under eight seconds, with 130 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque from its electric motor.

The new batteries are being produced on a dedicated assembly line at GM's new facility in Brownstone, Michigan, alongside components for the Chevrolet Volt, Opel Ampera and Cadillac ELR.

The company promises the redesign will not affect the Spark EV's $26,685 base price (before federal incentives)."

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asulil

· #2 · May 15, 2014

what chemistry does this batteries use? Pretty amazing. reducing weight is huge.

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SoCalGuy

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 15, 2014

asulil said:
what chemistry does this batteries use? Pretty amazing. reducing weight is huge.

Not sure, but looks like they are cycling the cells deeper which used to mean less longevity in the batteries.

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Fabulist

· #4 · May 15, 2014

SoCalGuy said:
Not sure, but looks like they are cycling the cells deeper which used to mean less longevity in the batteries.

They are cycling the cells deeper, which means they can reduce the number of cells for the same capacity. That's where most of the weight saving comes from. It probably also reduces the cost of the battery, which explains why they are not charging more for the new battery. For a pure EV, a 19KWH battery is pretty small. I would have thought it would be better to keep the same number of cells but increase the usable capacity by taking advantage of the deeper cycles, but they never asked me.

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carunlock

· #5 · Jun 22, 2014

the battery is very duty, and heavy......

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