Lead batteries are a future technology, and have never been more relevant as the world’s surging demand for electricity and energy storage continues to grow.
Lead batteries are an indispensable part of our everyday lives and our green energy future. They provide the energy for our growing global economy, supporting renewable energy, greener transportation and our critical infrastructure.
Lead battery technology has advanced significantly over the past 20 years. Driving that innovation are smart partnerships between companies and universities. Their synergy is yielding innovative applications for key sectors, like renewable energy.
Additionally, cutting-edge, pre-competitive research initiatives are underway to harness the full capability of lead batteries to help meet our critical energy storage needs. One highly visible example is a three-year research initiative comprised of more than a dozen U.S. lead battery companies and suppliers, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory. The results are expected to establish a data foundation to create the next generation of high-performance advanced lead battery technology.
The Consortium for Battery Innovation has developed a market-driven roadmap to identify investment and research projects whose results are expected make a significant difference in lead battery performance.
The research priorities are focused in the automotive and energy storage market sectors. Studies range from improving dynamic charge acceptance and operational capability to lower temperatures to improving deep cycle life and increasing high-temperature durability and more.
Whether powering sustainable transportation, or providing the energy storage for crucial emergency backup power, or safeguarding data connectivity, lead batteries are a vital part of our energy future.
Without question, this is an exciting time for lead battery technology. Performance improvements in lead batteries are transforming the transportation industry by reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. New lead battery advancements have extended the life of traditional batteries by 30 to 35 percent over the last 20 years. This enables low-cost, large-scale deployment of micro- and mild hybrids with significant fuel economy and reduced emissions.
- By 2020, it is predicted that the use of start-stop lead batteries will eliminate two million tons of vehicle greenhouse gas emissions annually in the U.S. This is the equivalent to the annual energy usage of 211,000 U.S. households.
Lead batteries are powering next-generation electric vehicles (EVs) and supporting increasing vehicle electrical demands. You might be surprised to learn that lead batteries are used worldwide in virtually every hybrid and EV. EVs depend on lead batteries for critical safety and security functions.
- Lead batteries provide auxiliary power for virtually all plug-in hybrid and full-electric vehicles.
- The growth of EVs depends, in part, on accessible, reliable public charging stations. Lead batteries store, regulate and ensure power at EV charging stations – even during extreme weather and peak energy demand.
