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More Powerful Batteries – A new, fast-charging battery will make drills and hybrid cars more powerful.

Lithium ion batteries have been powering cell phones and laptops for years. But they’ve never been used for more power-hungry machines like power tools and hybrid vehicles, mainly because of their high cost, their inability to provide adequate current, and safety questions.

All this has now changed, though, according to A123 Systems. This month the Watertown, MA startup announced a new lithium ion battery, based on research done at MIT, that’s suitable for applications requiring high power output. The battery’s high power density — a measure of the watts of power it can produce per kilogram — means it’s also lighter than conventional batteries of similar size. The battery will get a chance to prove itself soon: it’s being incorporated into a new line of power tools, scheduled to reach store shelves next spring, that can outperform plug-in drills and saws.

"The first customer is a power tool company, but the cell can be used in many types of applications, such as automotive environments or medical devices — anything that needs high power," says Ric Fulop, A123’s co-founder and vice president of business development.

By Kevin Bullis

Full Story: http://technologyreview.com/NanoTech-Devices/wtr_15913,303,p1.html

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