Development of Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries and Its Management System for Electric Vehicles

Beijing general research institute for nonferrous metals (GRINM) has focused on developing nickel metal hydride (Ni/MH) batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and related key materials since 1990. Some kinds of batteries has already used in electric vehicles and finished a good demonstration driving to and fro between Beijing and Tianjing city in china 1999. And more, in order to meet to the requirement of a fuel cell hybrid electric bus, a 100Ah/384V Ni/MH high power batteries and its battery management system (BMS) has been developed in 2002, the specific power of the 100Ah battery has reach 300 W/kg and specific energy reach 60Wh/kg, 1/3C to 3C bench tests of the 100Ah/384V battery system show excellent power performance. At the same time in order to meet the requirement of a oil-electricity hybrid electric car, a D-size 8Ah/336V Ni/MH high power battery and its BMS also has been developed in 2002, the 8Ah batteries can discharge with 10C to 30C rate, shows its specific power 800W/kg and specific energy 50Wh/kg. It appeared that those two batteries system all has excellent performance for Evs application.