MILWAUKEE, WI --- The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, has awarded Johnson Controls-Saft a $8.2 million contract to develop lithium-ion battery systems for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). In addition, over the course of two years, the company will seek to validate the commercial feasibility of lithium-ion technology for mass market PHEVs.

"We are working on the development of the complete PHEV system, which includes high energy capacity cells, battery management electronics, control software and an efficient thermal management system, all optimally packaged for safety and efficient integration into the vehicle," said Mary Ann Wright, who leads the Johnson Controls-Saft joint venture and is vice president and general manager for Johnson Controls hybrid battery business. "Specifically, key goals for this PHEV contract are to optimize cell and battery system design for 10-mile and 40-mile electric range vehicles."

USABC, whose members are Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., awarded Johnson Controls-Saft a similar contract in 2006 focused on lithium-ion battery systems for hybrid electric vehicles. USABC is one of several technology development consortia of USCAR, the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC.

"Lithium-ion technology has the potential to dramatically change the personal transportation landscape for consumers. It can support multiple powertrain technologies, from PHEVs to fuel cell vehicles," said Don Walkowicz, executive director of USCAR. "The Johnson Controls-Saft contract is part of USABC's broad battery technology research and development program and is important to advancing sustainable transportation solutions worldwide."

Johnson Controls-Saft is a joint venture that has brought together Johnson Controls, a leading supplier of automotive batteries and integrated automotive systems solutions, with Saft, an advanced energy storage solutions provider with extensive lithium-ion battery expertise.