Effectiveness of the United States Advanced Battery Consortium as a Government-Industry Partnership (1998) / Chapter Skim
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6 Conclusions and Recommendations
6 Conclusions and Recommendations
Pages 56-66
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From page 56... ...
However, no technology meets all of the midterm goals, although work in progress has a significant chance of meeting both the midterm and commercialization goals early in the next decade, or even before the year 2000. The consortium has effectively brought together battery technologists and experts in EVs in creative, focused partnerships but has missed some opportunities to provide broad technical leadership because timely information (such as summaries of progress or a technical road map)
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From page 57... ...
The program has demonstrated that the technical difficulties of developing batteries for EVs constitute a major challenge, perhaps even an insurmountable challenge, if success is measured against the stated long-term performance goals. Even when adequate funding is available for R&D, the USABC goals may not be met.
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From page 58... ...
The lack of public information from the USABC program has also encouraged the perception that "EVs are just around the corner." More public information could have helped to inform the public of the difficulties of developing a commercially viable EV. A USABC technology road map similar to the Semiconductor Industry Association's road map would be a useful guide and would present an accurate picture of the status of EV battery development.
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From page 59... ...
The USABC has a focused development program aimed at one very demanding battery application that might be unrealizable in terms of the defined performance goals. The committee believes that the nation has many different interests in battery science and technology (e.g., for load leveling, solar and wind energy storage, smart buildings with energy-saving features, remote power applications, and portable power sources)
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From page 60... ...
A successor to the USABC may have the latitude to rethink the performance goals in the light of ongoing technical developments and changing market potential. A fundamental assumption of the USABC program was that meeting the CARB mandate required that except for vehicle range, EV performance be comparable to the performance of current vehicles powered by gasoline-fueled ICEs.
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From page 61... ...
automakers have managed the USABC program effectively using proven industry practices and have made appropriate decisions to narrow the portfolio of battery technologies as the program has proceeded. In the committee's judgment, the industry-led consortium model adopted by the USABC has effectively focused development on well defined, but extremely challenging, technical targets.
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From page 62... ...
The USABC oversight process includes a "peer review" step, but not in the sense that peer review is understood in the context of projects supported by government agencies. USABC peer reviews are done by personnel from within the management structure, rather than independent, outside experts.
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From page 63... ...
Recommendation. Within the limits imposed by proprietary considerations, regular peer reviews of the USABC's ongoing programs should be implemented immediately to provide objective assessments and to support decision making.
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From page 64... ...
In this respect, the operational practices of the USABC appear to be defensive. The RFPI requirement that companies reveal commercially sensitive information almost certainly has discouraged battery developers with relatively mature systems which they had developed over many years at considerable expense from participating.
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From page 65... ...
After lead-acid battery technology was excluded from the USABC portfolio, the manufacturers of lead-acid batteries and their suppliers decided to form their own consortium and undertake an applied research program to make their technology competitive with battery technologies developed under the USABC. The ALABC (Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium)
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From page 66... ...
It will remain under development in a separate program to meet high-power energy storage requirements for hybrid vehicles for the PNGV program. The USABC established midterm technology programs in response to the CARB requirement of 2 percent ZEVs in 1998.
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