Tuesday, July 30, 2013

PowerGenix Signs Testing Deal With Peugeot

San Diego-based advanced battery developer PowerGenix said today that it has signed a testing contract with French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen. According to PowerGenix, Peugeot has signed an "innovation" contract where Peugeot will evaluate the use of PowerGenix' Nickel-Zinc batteries as a replacement for lead-acid batteries. A spokesperson for the firm said that, however, Peugeot has not been signed up as an actual customer of the company. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. PowerGenix has been developing its NiZn batteries for a number of years, saying they have higher energy density and charge acceptance than alternatives.

Peugeot's efforts revolve around using the batteries in micro-hybrid vehicles, which use electric batteries in a "start-stop" system to shut off the engine of a vehicle while at rest to optimize fuel economy. PowerGenix said that, once complete, the efforts with Peugeot will result in its batteries being fully tailored for Peugeot and ready for successful integration into vehicles.

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