Horiba MIRA has announced a deal with Nissan to design the next generation of commercial battery systems for hybrid buses and trucks.
As Nissan continues to pioneer the EV movement in the automotive industry, Horiba MIRA will use the Leaf’s cell technology to develop battery packs that will range from 67kWh to 400kWh.
The battery will utilize nickel manganese cobalt oxide lithium-ion cells to double the energy density of previous generations. This means a smaller, lighter package with increased range.
First developed as part of a collaborative project with Dennis Eagle, the battery featured as part of the UVR project, which engineered a range of low-emission vehicles for waste collection applications.
The project applied the battery technology to three prototype variants, a lightweight IC engine, a CNG unit and a plug-in hybrid.
Dr George Gillespie OBE, CEO at Horiba MIRA, said, “This project brings Nissan’s latest Leaf cell technology into new markets, harnessing Horiba MIRA expertise to deliver this highly efficient battery technology.
“Efficient and cost-effective lithium-ion battery technology is key to accelerating the uptake of hybrid and electric vehicles, and this development takes us one step closer to hitting the UK targets for emission reduction in commercial vehicle sector.”
The batteries will be available from early 2018, and Horiba MIRA aims to reach volume supply from 2019.