Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LEFAPO (Lead free automotive SLI power)

Teaser

BackgroundCar manufacturers are facing increasing environmental demands. These include the need to reduce CO2 emissions, a ban on the use of hazardous materials, and at the same time the increasing energy consumption of modern cars. Conventional lead-acid starting batteries...

Summary

Background
Car manufacturers are facing increasing environmental demands. These include the need to reduce CO2 emissions, a ban on the use of hazardous materials, and at the same time the increasing energy consumption of modern cars.
Conventional lead-acid starting batteries have difficulties, due to their technological limitations, in meeting these challenges. In addition, they do not fully support start-stop systems. Furthermore, start-stop systems significantly reduce the lifespans of lead-acid starting batteries. This increases not just total battery costs but also amount of ecologically harmful waste.
The use of lead is banned by EU legislation. Its usage in lead acid batteries is only possible due to an exemption which is currently under review by the European commission. The exemption will be cancelled only when an alternative solution is available.

Goals
Olife have been developing a revolutionary lithium car starting battery that is a milestone in the evolution of the automotive industry. It is the first full ecologic substitute for lead-acid batteries. It reduces hazardous waste by being completely lead-acid free and offers a significantly longer life span. It can also reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption thanks to lower weight and better utilization in start-stop systems. Due to technology, high charge acceptance and negligible self-discharge characteristics there is less need for charging (saving car generator run-time) which further lowers energy consumption

Our goals are to complete the development and to demonstrate industrial readiness and maturity for primary market introduction - OEM, to build brand awareness, to develop communication and dissemination activities for both the primary market and the aftermarket. This will be achieved by: 1) Testing, modification and finalisation of product development for OEM market, 2) Communication and dissemination activities, and 3) Protection of intellectual property.
Our activities should actively contribute to cancellation of the Exemption 5 of the End of Life Vehicle Directive which will result in the complete ban of lead (heavy metal) use in car starting batteries in Europe.

Work performed

A comprehensive testing of Olife’s first prototype solution has been finished. The main goals were to prove our performance superiority and also identify the technology thresholds.
The tests outcomes represent a valuable source of information mainly for designing a unique BMS system. Currently, the entire battery system including BMS is fine-tuned in order to be fully in line with the functional safety standard of ISO 26262.
In addition, Olife has finalised the winning product introduction strategy. We have initiated communication with our potential distribution partners and end-users.

Final results

Environmental impact – Olife battery represents clean technology to achieve greater performance of car starting batteries to satisfy the demands of the modern vehicles. Olife solution complies fully with the EU Vehicle end-of life regulation which intends among other things to eliminate the use of lead in car production.
Socio-economic impact – Current lead acid battery technology is fully recyclable, however number of studies show that especially in developing countries the recycling is done by humans and very often by children. Therefore it is important to start the transformation to the clean technologies.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.olife-energy.com/batteries/.