The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), a division of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (www.uscar.com), together with the U.S. Department of Energy (www.doe.gov) has awarded an $8.2 million plug-in hybrid electric battery technology development contract to Johnson Controls-Saft (www.johnsoncontrols.comwww.saftbatteries.com).

USABC, the members of which are Chrysler LLC (www.chrysler.com), Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and General Motors Corporation (www.gm.com), is charged with developing electrochemical energy storage technologies that support commercialization of fuel cell, hybrid and electric vehicles.

"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 24-month cost-share contract is for the development of battery cell, module and pack technology for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV) applications. Johnson Controls-Saft and the USABC will seek to validate the commercial feasibility of lithium-ion technology for mass market PHEVs. In the course of the program, JCS will develop PHEV battery systems targeted to meet the goals set by the USABC for 10- mile and 40-mile all-electric range plug-in hybrid vehicles.