AllCell Technologies, LLC, a Lithium-ion battery pack manufacturer for smart-grid, autonomous and light electric vehicle applications, and LG Chem Ltd., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries, have developed a high performance long lasting Li-ion battery for material handling applications. The battery is designed as a drop-in replacement for lead-acid batteries with fast charge/discharge capabilities, 4 to 5 times longer life, robust fuel gage, hot environment resilience and no standard maintenance requirements.
A base model (26V, 93 Ah) with CAN bus communication has been recently certified for air shipment (i.e. IATA/UN 38.3 testing) and is currently available for field testing with strategic partners in the material handling market. The battery is built with LG’s state-of-art cylindrical 18650 format batteries and AllCell’s proprietary passive thermal management technology with phase change composite (PCC).
In a field traditionally dominated by lead acid technology, lithium-ion is emerging as an attractive alternative due to its fast charge capability. The ability to perform high rate charges throughout the day eliminates the need for customers to swap batteries during multi-shift operation, greatly reducing battery inventory cost and space. This capability is further enabled by the growth of autonomously guided vehicles that can optimize charging time and never forget to charge when idle.
A Navigant Research report estimates that revenue from fuel cells, fast chargers, and Li-ion batteries in the material handling market will be $556 million in North America by 2020, compared to $121 million in 2013.
AllCell’s CEO, Said Al-Hallaj said, “We have been working closely with strategic partners in the material handling industry and we plan to position our new battery with LG Chem to be cost competitive and to provide our partners with a strategic edge in the material handling market.”
“We are impressed with AllCell’s engineering and technology capabilities and will continue to work closely with their team to develop high end, safe and cost competitive Li-ion batteries for various market applications,” said Jason Park, Mobile Battery Division, LG Chem.
