<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">FYI -- sent recently to an LRT Consultant.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">R</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">"T<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 18px; ">he <b>field trial</b> (in England) of UltraBatteries in the Honda Insight HEV shows that the vehicle has surpassed <b>170,000 km</b> and the batteries are still in a healthy condition.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; ">" <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; ">Aug 2009 <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; ">(See in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Additional ... References</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; "> below, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_</a> )</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 20px; word-spacing: 1px; "><img border="0" alt="Energy Transformed Flagship Director, Dr John Wright, was along for the ride when the UltraBattery clocked up 100,000 miles in a hybrid vehicle under test conditions earlier this year." height="139" width="182" class="mainImage" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; " src="cid:4D55B4B7-227C-424F-9ABC-EB8C24CAE6C7@lan"></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">Thank you for again being generous with you thoughts and time . Here is Furukama's UltraBattery with partial specs of 12v., 8.5 Ah.@5H (12v. x 63 = 756v.) & test facilities info:</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/nt_ultra.htm">http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/nt_ultra.htm</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/area.htm">http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/area.htm</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">I particularly like the IDEA of having an energy storage platform which can adapt to better energy storage devices as they become available. Building on that IDEA, one could propose having a more expansive adaptability potential for LRT vehicle design so that other types of new innovations beyond energy storage, such as new materials, could more easily be integrated into in-use LRT vehicles when sufficiently cost-effective. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">A continuously evolving prototype could provide the exemplry leadership here. And it could help minimize the extreme conservatism of most LRT-using municipalities. <b>This malady might be attributed to oversight engineers who (often irrationally) can fear job loss from transit project failure more than they aspire to great innovative accomplishment that could help advance their cities or Region. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">(Perhaps municipalities require more sophisticated ways to handle project risk?)</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">A good example of potential (longer-term) new LRT innovations involves Volvo where both energy and new materials come together:</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#333333" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><b><br></b></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.ernmag.com/blog/?p=77" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Volvo gets in on shapeable ultracapacitors" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none; ">Volvo gets in on shapeable ultracapacitors </a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(119, 119, 119); font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; ">Thursday, February 25th, 2010</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#777777" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "><a href="http://www.ernmag.com/blog/?p=77">http://www.ernmag.com/blog/?p=77</a></span></font></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><div class="entry" style="line-height: 1.4em; "><p>Looks like shapeable ultracapacitors have caught the attention of at least one car maker.</p><p>Volvo is looking to build energy storage into the bodies of its cars. In particular, the company is working with researchers at Imperial College London on carbon-fiber panels that are both structural and ultracapacitors.</p><p>From a New York Times Wheels <a href="http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/volvo-looks-at-new-way-of-lightening-batteries-without-losing-power/" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); text-decoration: none; ">blog post</a>:</p><ul style="margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px; "><li style="margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 10px; ">According to Emile Greenhalgh, the Imperial College aeronautics engineer who is coordinating the three-year project, “Our lightweight carbon-fiber panels can carry a mechanical load and store energy simultaneously, and we’re working toward achieving a 15 percent weight savings in a Volvo hybrid test car.” The ultracapacitors won’t replace the battery pack in hybrid cars — that’s still down the road — but their presence can make it smaller, lighter and cheaper.</li></ul><p>The <a href="http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/people/e.greenhalgh/research/multifunctional" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); text-decoration: none; ">ICL project</a> is along the lines of work being done by startup <a href="http://www.paperbatteryco.com/" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); text-decoration: none; ">Paper Battery Co.</a> and Stanford researcher <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/group/cui_group/yicui.html" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); text-decoration: none; ">Yi Cui</a>. The ICL work is focused on multifunctional composite materials that can be used as structural components. The Paper Battery Co. and Stanford research is focused on producing shapeable, high-performance ultracapacitors that can be added to structural components.</p><p><br></p></div></span><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">Further in that direction, you may want to keep your eye on another Japanese battery manufacturer,, who have a similar in concept "UltraBattery" based on lithium instead of lead. They appear to be at a much earlier stage in the product cycle than Furukama's -- although currently their current prototype is low on cycles according to some evaluators.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">(<a href="http://www.futurecars.com/news/electric-cars/mitsubishi-prototypes-new-ultracapacitor-battery-hybrid-device">http://www.futurecars.com/news/electric-cars/mitsubishi-prototypes-new-ultracapacitor-battery-hybrid-device</a>)</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">Perhaps that is why this radical new lithium "battery" development seems to have been overlooked in this June 2010 article, "The Future of Lithium, <a href="http://enterpriseresilienceblog.typepad.com/enterprise_resilience_man/2010/06/the-future-of-lithium.html">http://enterpriseresilienceblog.typepad.com/enterprise_resilience_man/2010/06/the-future-of-lithium.html</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; color: black; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; "><b>MIT's energy storage breakthroughs bear watching also:</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">1. <b>Ultra Battery (a new type of ultracapacitor) based on carbon nano-tubes</b> that has "the potential to provide an energy storage device ten times more powerful than even the latest batteries in hybrid cars -- while outliving the vehicle itself"</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/NanoTech/wtr_16326,303,p1.html">http://www.technologyreview.com/NanoTech/wtr_16326,303,p1.html</a> &</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25634/">http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25634/</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">2. <b>Lithium-ion battery based on new nanostructured lithium-nickel-manganese oxides</b> "could lead to super-efficient hybrid cars and electric vehicles ... with speedier charging ... and 1/4 to 1/5 the weight." <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/business/16384/">http://www.technologyreview.com/business/16384/</a> & <a href="http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=JESOAN00015700000400A447000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes&ref=no">http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=JESOAN00015700000400A447000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes&ref=no</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">With technological change occurring so rapidly in area of energy storage, I noticed that East Penn Manufacturing has hedged their bets in their sub-licensing agreement with Furukawa according to this web document based on a presentation by 2 East Penn Mfg.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">employees, "Advanced Battery Manufacturing , Facilities and Equipment Program" <a href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/merit_review_2010/electrochemical_storage/esarravt002_flicker_2010_p.pdf">http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/merit_review_2010/electrochemical_storage/esarravt002_flicker_2010_p.pdf</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">Since East Penn's program for UltraBattery production will not be complete until 9/6/12, they are saying, "If market conditions change during the duration of the (Federal) grant period, then East Penn will execute their documented contingency plans for shifting production into other battery models ... ,"</div><div><br></div></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">Leapfrogging (from your Li-ion battery with its 5 km potential and 6 min. charging via extended catenary before and after stations) to the UltraBattery could give you a significant advantage over your competition -- especially because your test vehicle is already set up and various real-world site-testing planned -- who I also am encouraging to test the UltraBattery. What if you were officially asked to test the UltraBattery <b>now</b> on your prototype vehicle (an adapted standard catenery LRT) by a prospective LRT customer?</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><b><br></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><b>Notice the cost/performance differential here make it very attractive:</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; line-height: 16px; ">UltraBattery is set to have a global impact on greenhouse gas emissions after Furukawa Battery Co. Ltd. which has already begun production of the UltraBattery, and East Penn Manufacturing Company Inc., signed an international commercialisation and distribution agreement for the technology. The exclusive sub-license agreement will see the UltraBattery distributed by East Penn to the automotive and motive power sector throughout North America, Mexico and Canada while Furukawa Battery Company will release the technology in Japan and Thailand. <b>Previous tests show the UltraBattery has a life cycle that is at least four times longer and produces 50% more power than conventional energy storage systems. The technology is approximately 70% cheaper than the batteries currently used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; "><b>"</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=6937:JP">http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=6937:JP</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; color: black; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; "><b>Development of UltraBattery </b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">3rd report (English translation Nov. 2008)</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/ultra_03.pdf">http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/ultra_03.pdf</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">2nd report (English translation Oct. 2007)</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/ultra_02.pdf">http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/english/rd/ultra_02.pdf</a></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="text-align: left; "><div style="font-family: Helvetica; color: black; text-align: left; font-size: 13px; "><b>Additional UitraBattery References</b>:</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TH1-4X4RWR6-3&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F15%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1420559365&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f418c120fd2074f97857ce729e06d2e6">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TH1-4X4RWR6-3&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F15%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1420559365&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f418c120fd2074f97857ce729e06d2e6</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/advanced-cars/a-batterycapacitor-hybridfor-hybrids">http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/advanced-cars/a-batterycapacitor-hybridfor-hybrids</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TH1-4JVT1R3-2&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F25%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1420547087&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=4c0c279b280bbb75caddbdc69c03432f">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TH1-4JVT1R3-2&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F25%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1420547087&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=4c0c279b280bbb75caddbdc69c03432f</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://jcwinnie.biz/wordpress/?p=3280">http://jcwinnie.biz/wordpress/?p=3280</a> </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.itwire.com/science-news/energy/16141-csiros-ultrabattery-to-power-hybrid-cars?start=1">http://www.itwire.com/science-news/energy/16141-csiros-ultrabattery-to-power-hybrid-cars?start=1</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.csiro.au/science/Ultra-Battery.html">http://www.csiro.au/science/Ultra-Battery.html</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.csiro.au/people/Lan.Lam.html">http://www.csiro.au/people/Lan.Lam.html</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/finan/pdf/zaimu/annual_2009.pdf">http://www.furukawadenchi.co.jp/finan/pdf/zaimu/annual_2009.pdf</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.furukawa.co.jp/english/">http://www.furukawa.co.jp/english/</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/East-Penn-Brings-UltraBattery-Technology-to-North-America-820994">http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/East-Penn-Brings-UltraBattery-Technology-to-North-America-820994</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1492331">http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1492331</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3483700042.html">http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3483700042.html</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><a href="http://www.lead411.com/company_EastPennManufacturingCompanyInc_38005.html">http://www.lead411.com/company_EastPennManufacturingCompanyInc_38005.html</a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; "><font class="option" color="#363636" style="background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; text-decoration: none; "><b>More about CSIRO's UltraBattery </b></font><font class="content" style="background-image: none; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: initial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; ">(Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2008) </font></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><a href="http://www.zpenergy.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2913">http://www.zpenergy.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2913</a></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; ">"The advantage of the Ultrabattery battery is that it’s the cheapest technology that can operate under hybrid car conditions. It’s a big improvement over the conventional car battery, with better capacity to absorb energy quicker and more often and with a much longer life. <br><br>The Ultrabattery combines an asymmetric capacitor and a lead-acid battery in one unit cell, without extra electronic control.<br><br>We have discovered that the supercapacitor function allows the battery to accept and deliver charge more rapidly, but it also protects the lead-acid function and this in turn leads to substantial increase in durability and operation over a wider range of SOC.<br><br>The Ultrabattery pack can be accommodated in the space for a Ni-MH pack.<br><br>The Ultrabattery meets the US Freedom Car benchmark, exceeding the targets of power, available energy, <b>cold cranking</b> and self discharge parameters. Cycling performance is better than the best regular lead-acid batteries and has proved to be better than the Ni-MH battery used in the Honda Insight in a durability trial over 100,000 miles. At the end oi the trial the Ultrabattery pack is still in excellent condition. <br><br>Our Japanese partner, Furukawa Battery Company, is now in production and a sub-license with a US battery maker will be signed in April.<br><br>Japanese carmakers have been testing the UB for more than a year now. Initially, the UB will probably appear in micro and mild hybrid cars, but after latest testing, carmakers will probably be trialling full and even plug-in applications. Here in Australia a local carmaker is trialling the UB in a conventional application because of its better performance and we also are engaged in an EV trial.<br><br>The UB car suffered a fuel economy penalty of 2.7% and emissions were worse by 2.9% because of the<b> added weight penalty over Ni-MH </b>(<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; ">17kg heavier<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; ">). </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; ">The value proposition to carmakers is to accept the fuel economy penalty and save at least $1,000 or possible much more.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; "><br>Toyota has now sold over a million Prius (one of them to the FS Director!) and in 2010 will make a million hybrids in one year alone. In the US, the plug-in Prius is all the rage because using electricity gives a running cost much lower than gasoline. Toyota will sell plug-in hybrids – we guess 2010 or 2011, but the Lithium battery is the unknown. We haven’t tested the Ultrabattery in a plug-in, but we want to.<br><br>Application of the UB in cars is very similar to wind-power applications .<br><br>Our testing on a 1000 kW battery is now well advanced and we have formed a joint venture called Cleantech Ventures to introduce the technology to the stationary energy market.<br><br>The batteries can be ‘banked’ (picture not available).<br><br>Features and benefits of the Ultrabattery.<br>Greater power<br>Significant improvement in service-life<br>Able to produce in smaller sizes, with sufficient power to drive the bigger engine capacity in conventional automobiles<br>Applicable to a wide range of HEVs with greatly reduced cost compared with existing nickel/nickel-metal hydride technology <br>Reconfigurable for a variety of applications (i.e., power tool, high-power UPS and renewable energy)<br>Low cost<br><br>We expect to improve the technology further and move from the upper middle region, into the upper-right quarter in the long-term."<br></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><b style="font-size: 12px; ">Advancing the Ultra-Battery</b>: Could use of the "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">light graphite foam<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; ">" electron collector (anode) from Firefly Energy's new type of lead battery (1/3 to 1/4 the weight, perform like <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">nickel-metal hydride batteries but long lasting at 1/5 the price) in the UltraBattery help improve it further? See <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/16278/">http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/16278/</a></span></span></span></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">And their "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">3D2 battery (both plates = foam) is supposed to be even better". (<a href="http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/what-ever-happened-firefly-energy-batteries-11528.html">http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/what-ever-happened-firefly-energy-batteries-11528.html</a>) As Firefly is now ceased operations, perhaps their lead battery innovations could be purchased by Furakawa and East Penn (with CSIRO's advice) to advantage? (<a href="http://gigaom.com/cleantech/latest-battery-startup-shutdown-firefly-energy/">http://gigaom.com/cleantech/latest-battery-startup-shutdown-firefly-energy/</a>)</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; ">I look forward to our next exploratory conversation.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">Best wishes,</span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; ">Robert</span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; color: black; text-align: left; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'"><b>Robert Milligan</b> is a member of Transport Action Ontario (formerly Transport 2000). He has a BSc in math-physics. a Graduate Diploma in Education and has completed many other courses including ones in industrial engineering, operations research and environmental health. He was a high school teacher, business systems analyst and environmental health analyst. Much of his time in retirement is now given freely to public projects, especially those with significant environmental and health features.</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'"><br></font></div></span></span></font></div></div></body></html>