EVS23: A123 shows off new cell design for Volt battery pack

Continental and A123 Systems are due to deliver their first prototype battery packs for the Chevy Volt the GM Tech Center later this month. In preparation for that moment, A123 has just unveiled the new prismatic cell that will be used. Previous A123 cells have all been cylindrical but this new unit follows the packaging path used by other GM hybrid battery packs. The prismatic design should allow a higher density of cells within a given pack volume but may cause issues with thermal management. While A123 has their own monitoring software and electronics available, GM currently plans use in-house developed code to determine the state of charge of the battery pack. Sebastian is on site at EVS23 and hopefully he'll be able to dig up some more information on what A123 has created.

[Source: GM-Volt.com]