The highly configurable Swing Key block is a series of interconnected Swing cells in a robust mechanical enclosure that brings to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers for the first time an advanced battery solution that combines the safety and performance advantage of Boston-Power’s Swing cells with the capacity and ease of implementation of traditional large format cells. As the foundation for Boston-Power’s Swing® Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems (Swing RESS™), the new products deliver these advantages while capitalizing on the company’s industry-best capabilities in energy density, cycle and calendar life, operating temperature range, safety and environmental sustainability.
The Swing Key blocks are already deployed in EV models today, including the Saab 9-3 ePower. More manufacturers are expected to announce and deploy the new offering later this year and in 2012.
According to Pike Research, the market for EVs is expected to grow to nearly $8 billion by 2015. Rising gas prices, increased oil dependence in the U.S. and abroad, and a growing desire for zero-emission vehicles are driving consumer change and buying behaviors.
“The question is no longer if the world will adopt electric vehicles – it’s now how can vehicle manufacturers safely and cost-effectively provide EVs that meet key customer requirements such as driving range, vehicle performance and battery life,” said Boston-Power Vice President of Marketing Sally Bament. “We’ve designed our new Swing Key block to help vehicle OEMs address these demands while enabling rapid development and scale of commercially viable EVs.”
The Swing Key blocks are designed to enable the rapid delivery of Boston-Power’s Swing RESS EV battery systems, delivering a range of industry-best capabilities:
Industry-leading system performance: >50% more usable energy density by volume and >45% more by weight; 10 year reliable calendar life; and, wide operating temperature range down to -40¢ªC (discharge);
Unparalleled system safety: enabled by multiple safety features in the Swing cells combined with the mechanically robust design of the Swing Key blocks;
Cost-effective thermal management through integrated air cooling channels;
Ease of assembly with minimal hardware requirements to build into systems; and,
Common hardware building blocks that allow easy integration and are compatible with next-generation cell capacity.
Pricing and Availability
The first two blocks in the family are the Swing Key 430 and Swing Key 435. Swing Key 430 (3.7V, 30Ah) samples will be available in August. Swing Key 435 (3.7V, 35Ah) samples will be available in the fall. Pricing is set to be competitive with today’s prismatic cells (cost per kWh) dependent on volume and configuration.
Boston-Power, Inc. is an award-winning systems provider of next-generation lithium-ion battery cells, blocks, modules and systems. Designed to fuel a wide range of applications, its flagship offerings, Swing® and Sonata®, serve as the foundation for a new era of longer lasting, faster charging, safer and environmentally sustainable batteries. The company’s Swing product delivers unmatched capabilities for Battery Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (BEV/PHEV), and utility energy storage applications. Sonata delivers industry leading performance to the portable power and notebook computer markets.
Founded in 2005 by Executive Chairman, Dr. Christina Lampe-Önnerud, an internationally recognized innovator, entrepreneur and technology advisor with regard to portable power, energy storage and climate change, Boston-Power has more than 150 patents filed on its breakthrough technology. To date, the company has raised $191 million in venture funding and has earned accolades for its executive leadership and technology from organizations that include The Wall Street Journal, the World Economic Forum, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA). Boston-Power is headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, and has Six Sigma-level mass manufacturing operations in Asia.
