Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) have gained tremendous momentum over the past few years. The political, environmental, and national energy/security landscapes have converged to promote a transportation network that reduces its dependence on petroleum. For this reason, and because of the commercial success of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), research and development efforts are underway to reduce the amount of petrol fuel that our automobiles consume. The PHEV architecture has been demonstrated to reduce fuel consumption to as little as % compared to a traditional vehicle in a typical daily commute. Just as with electric vehicle (EV) development in the 1990's, the limitation for PHEVs to commercial acceptance and success seems to be the energy storage device, mainly the batteries. In response to this need for a superior battery, Valence Technology, Inc. has introduced large format lithium ion batteries using lithium iron magnesium phosphate cathode material, which they have branded as Saphion~Re, for PHEV, EV, and HEV markets. These batteries retain all the benefits of traditional lithium ion without the fear of thermal runaway during abusive conditions. Valence, with its partners Energy CS, E-Traction, and Enova, has been able to successfully demonstrate the viability of PHEV vehicles in both light and heavy duty on-road applications.
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