The Li-ion will be king of the jungle

摘要

Battery manufacturer Saft believes there is an inexorable and inevitable transition under way towards Lithium-ion batteries. John Searle has a message for the automotive industry. "What I think is important is for the car industry to see this is the future. The transition from nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries to lithium-ion is starting." Searle is managing director of Saft, a French-owned company that specialises in the design and manufacture of high-tech batteries across a number of industries, including automotive. He believes that in the future, all hybrid cars will make use of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that are lighter, more efficient and, ultimately, cheaper than the present nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, and that their potential could extend even further than improved petrol or diesel hybrid cars.