yes there is something called an ultracapicitor (can’t help but think of the Flex Capicitor from Back to the Future)

Zenn Motor Company (Canada “ah”), a electic car maker, will be using this technology developed by EEstor, whom is based in Texas. The specs are fantastic…

http://www.zenncars.com/html/investor/EEStor/index.html

As you can see the Ceramic EESU’s claims are superior to lithium-ion batteries. There is a very clear and clean graph on Zenn’s website. go to http://www.zenncars.com/ then click “Learn” “Company” “EEstor” scroll down to graph.

The good thing is that EEstor has had 3rd party to verify thier claims.

http://media.cleantech.com/3173/eestor-gets-scientific-backing-its-advanced-batteries

Makes me wonder “why hasn’t GM looked in this direction yet?”

Sounds like interesting work. Sort of like and independent NTSB for spacecraft?
Looks like the first Lithiums went high (is that the term for Geosynchronous?) in March of ‘04.

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/mar/1025503.htm

I hope you are right that there’s been (soon will be) enough testing on the GM suppliers batteries to be assured of exceeding the warranty period. We’d all like to see mass production and reduced price soon thereafter. Guess we’ll all just have to wait and see how it works out.
I have no idea what Lockheed Martin’s status is/was with NiH2. Most of their buzz lately has come from involvement with Eestor and the supercaps.

P.S. Batteries aren’t my specialty either. But I soon hope to get my Masters in “googling”.
(plus, I slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night)

Thanks for updating me with the work at the European Space Agency (ESA) & in Scotland at Clyde Space, neither of which I was aware of! You’re right, I’m no longer specializing in space -craft batteries (having retired). I now work as a consultant in my own firm (Space Science Services, “S-cubed”) in the areas of spacecraft forensics, risk analysis, expert witnessing, mission management/planning, failure analysis, etc –i.e., ALL spacecraft systems & subsystems.

My frame of reference for NiH2 was the CPV (common pressure vessel) NiH2 battery concept developed by Comsat Laboratories, which retains all of the advantages of NiH2 but dramatically reduces battery mass and volume by using a single “tank” to house several cells rather a single cell. Comsat Labs was acquired by Lockheed Martin a few years ago, and I assume the CPV NiH2 battery was not pursued or at least not fully developed at LM —do you happen to know?

The most important point, however, is that accelerated spacecraft battery life tests lasting as little as 3-4 years (with NiCd, NiMh & NiH2 chemistries, at least) have been found to accurately predict actual battery lifetimes of 15-20 years ….and that I would expect careful accelerated life testing of Li-Ion batteries* should do the same, such that the 2 additional years remaining for accelerated battery life testing should give GM very good insight into actual service life, cell failures, etc, hopefully enough so that it will be unnecessary to price a replacement battery into a Volt’s selling price.

*Clearly, ESA (et al) will not be able to accumulate 20 years of Li-Ion Life Test data before launching 15-20 yr spacecraft using Li-Ion batteries

I take it batteries are not your specialty?

“The main advantage is the weight reduction of the battery system due to higher energy-to-weight ratio:The energy-to-weight ratio of Li-Ion is higher than 110 Wh/kg about twice the maximum achieved with NiH2.At battery level, the weight reduction is at least more than 40 %. More than 300 kg could be saved for a 20 kW payload satellite.”

http://telecom.esa.int/telecom/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=1480

Looks like a little company called Clyde Space thinks you’re behind the times by hanging on to NiH2 instead of moving on to Li-ion. And in error about mass efficiency of NiH2 vs. Li-ion.

“As a result of several years of life testing, the recently developed Lithium ion (Li-ion) rechargeable battery has become the popular choice amongst mission designers. Li-ion battery technology offers spacecraft engineers a number of advantages over other battery technologies, including an energy density nearly double that of NiH2 at 120Wh/kg+. Testing has shown Li-ion to have cycling properties as good as NiCd and NiH2 for both low and high DoD applications.”

But NiH2 has been the technology with the most working knowledge so people tend to go with what they know.

“The advantages of this technology [NiH2} are the fact that it not only has many years of life test data, it has also been successfully used on many missions over the last 10-20 years.”

http://www.clyde-space.com/resources/powerschool/power_storage/secondary_batteries

Maybe you should call these guys and see if they know something you don’t.;)