Zenlabs Receives $4.8 M Low-Cost, Fast-Charge Battery Technology Development Contract From USABC

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), and a collaborative organization of FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors, today announced the award of a $4.8 million technology development contract to Zenlabs Energy Inc. in Fremont, California for development of low-cost, fast-charge (LC/FC) battery technology for electric vehicles (EVs).  

The contract award, which includes a 50 percent cost share, funds a 30-month project that began last month. Building on a successful Phase 1, the goal of this program is to develop novel electrolyte formulations, a scalable pre-lithiation method that enables the use of high-capacity silicon oxide anodes, and optimized cell designs that will result in lithium-ion batteries capable of meeting USABC LC/FC EV battery goals.

USABC is a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR). Enabled by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), USABC's mission is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support commercialization of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles. In support of its mission, USABC has developed mid- and long-term goals to guide its projects and measure its progress.  

"The low-cost/fast-charge technology development contract award with Zenlabs is part of USABC's broad battery technology research and development program," said Steve Zimmer, executive director of USCAR. "Programs like this are critical to advancing the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable broader scale vehicle electrification."