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Big Three want $500m aid for battery research
Japan's hybrid cars are eating Detroit's lunch. Now the Big Three want $500 million in federal aid for battery research to help them leapfrog Toyota and build US-made "plug-in" hybrids that can be "refuelled" at local AC outlets such as a home garage.
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Published: 00:00 January 22, 2007
Japan's hybrid cars are eating Detroit's lunch. Now the Big Three want $500 million in federal aid for battery research to help them leapfrog Toyota and build US-made "plug-in" hybrids that can be "refuelled" at local AC outlets such as a home garage.
The automakers' proposal has all the appearance of dinosaurs pleading for help to become mammals just before the asteroid hits. Yet the idea may have more merit than a casual glance suggests‚ especially if the industry is willing to match the feds' contribution.
At last week's auto show in Detroit, General Motors unveiled the Volt‚ a highly efficient hybrid that is years away from showrooms. GM officials said it would be tough to market it without additional help from taxpayers in battery R&D.
In fact, a white paper the Big Three sent the administration in December lays out a need for a type of battery that can unleash enough power for quick acceleration, retain large amounts of energy for 40 miles or more of driving, and continue working for 15 years at a range of temperatures from Fairbanks to Fort Lauderdale. The chemistry for each function is different and hard to blend in one battery.
Another major focus involves R&D to build an adequate production base to help keep costs down.
To be sure, the US dug itself into the hole it's trying to escape. For example, from 1993 to its end in 2001, the industry-government Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles sought to develop mid-sized hybrid cars that by 2004 could get 80 mpg.
To some observers, few within the Big Three took the programme seriously. Others argue that they took it seriously, but the criteria were too ambitious. By 2001, the National Research Council concluded that the mileage and affordability goals couldn't be reached by 2004. But Japan saw the US programme as a significant threat. Toyota and Honda designed hybrids that fell short of several of the US programme's goals. But they were reliable and affordable.
The US now stands as the single largest market for Toyota's Prius. Toyota also bought a majority share in battery giant Panasonic EV Energy, giving it another competitive edge.
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