Johnson Controls is showcasing its Re3 concept car at the 2009 North American International Auto Show today. The Re3 is a small car, designed to be both fuel efficient and appealing to consumers. From the company’s press release, here are some of the features of the Re3:
… Read the rest— A plug-in hybrid battery system that allows generous seating for five adults in the vehicle;
— New, class-leading storage capacity in the instrument panel, enabled by the
This is great news for the advancement of electric vehicles. Fourteen US companies have formed an alliance with a government laboratory called the National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture with the goal of the advancement of lithium batteries. The fragmented US battery industry has had a difficult time keeping up with their Asian counterparts. As battery consultant Ralph Brodd says, “(Other) countries understand that he who makes the batteries will one day make … Read the rest
With the Obama administration just weeks away from move in day, there are quite a few articles out there being written about ways to play the coming infrastructure and green energy boom. Much has been made of Obama’s plan to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and to a lesser degree, plans to spend big on infrastructure. Certainly infrastructure and green energy will be two big themes over the next 4 years and possibly beyond, … Read the rest
Johnson Controls-Saft, a joint venture between Johnson Controls, which makes car batteries, and Saft, which makes high-technology lithium-ion batteries, has just announced that its lithium-ion batteries will be used in the new BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid car. The batteries will be produced at the company’s new facility in Nersac, France. The facility was designed to be easily expandable as demand for the product increases.
Mary Ann Wright, who leads the joint venture, stated that "Johnson … Read the rest