March 24, 2022: A bid to identify new battery research projects for potential future funding was launched by the Consortium for Battery Innovation on March 23.

The CBI’s latest request for proposals (RFP) is focused on innovative applications for advanced batteries, aimed at enhancing technology in key areas such as cycle life, service life, charge efficiency and operational cost.

CBI said the initiative targets markets including electric vehicles, energy storage systems and motive power applications as key areas for growth opportunities for the advanced lead battery sector.

Some 60% of the global rechargeable battery market is represented by lead batteries and the CBI said growth should come across all lead battery applications.

CBI senior technical manager Matt Raiford (pictured, inset) said the organization’s technical roadmap, launched in 2021, is driving the RFP to ensure advanced lead batteries can continue to develop and innovate “to help societies meet ambitious decarbonization and electrification targets”.

Improvements

For motive power applications, the focus is on lowering the total cost of ownership by increasing cycle life, recharge time and producing maintenance-free batteries, Raiford said.

For energy storage, improving cycle life, calendar life and overall efficiency while reducing acquisition and operating costs are the priority.

In the automotive sector, including conventional cars and electric vehicles, Raiford said key areas of focus include improving high-temperature performance, charge efficiency and lifetime, while ensuring improvements in dynamic charge acceptance, cold crank amps and water loss are maintained.

The RFP is open to submissions until Friday, May 20. Raiford told BESB a subsequent review period will take up to 10 weeks, with awards expected to be issued around late July.

Click here for the full list of topics and guidelines for proposals.