Joint Venture to Sell HES Devices

As the hybrid electric business in the automotive industry gains ground, more and more companies try and come up with solutions that will give them a competitive edge on the market. This solutions, at times, come not in the form of new products, but alliances meant to increase the appeal their respective products have to offer.

This week, two companies activating in the field of electric vehicles power trains and supercapacitors, ALTe Powertrain and Inmatech, announced the signing of an agreement that will lead to the creation of a new joint venture.

The main focus of the new company will be to produce and sell hybrid electric storage (HES) devices to be used by the automotive industry. HES comprise most of the hardware needed by an automaker to create an electric vehicle: batteries, supercapacitors and control electronics.

Unlike the products the competitors have to offer, the HES produced by the new JV will be first of all cheaper, because of the use of a combination between supercapacitors with lithium ion battery cells. The reduction in cost of such systems can be of as much of 40 percent, compared to a battery made only of lithium ion cells.

The task at hand for the new company is far from being easy, and all those who were hoping to hear that the EVs will get cheaper thanks to the new alliance will still have to wait some time before fulfilling their dream. The first products of this kind will be produced no sooner than 2014.

"We are very pleased to be entering into a relationship with Inmatech, as we will be able to provide the best battery solution for our customers while opening new opportunities to expand our business to further supply the automotive industry's growing need for advanced electric powertrain equipment," said ALTe CEO John D. Thomas.