Argonne National Laboratory Reports

The battery is a key element in the acceptance of electric vehicles, and R and D efforts are being undertaken to improve battery performance and lifetime. In this electric-vehicle battery program, controlled laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of selected factors on the performance and life of the EV-2300 lead-acid battery manufactured by Johnson Controls, Inc. These factors included simulated driving profiles with different levels of peak power demands for vehicle acceleration, long rest times after charge or discharge, and different methods of recharging. The performance and cycle life of a 12-module full-scale battery pack and its support system were also evaluated. This report summarizes the work carried out on this program from January 1985 through April 1986. This work involved tests of the battery pack and support system, statistical analysis of capacity and power data from earlier tests of six-cell modules, and post-test analysis of selected modules and cells