With the new funding, ReVolt will be able to accelerate its implementation plan for a US headquarters and development facility in Portland, Oregon, where the company will work on advanced zinc-air battery technology for use in electric vehicles, the company said.
James P McDougall, CEO of ReVolt Technology, said: “Zinc is a globally-abundant industrial material and our environmentally-safe battery technology offers superior energy performance – up to triple the energy density of lithium-ion at a significantly lower price – making it a good fit for ARPA-E’s mandate to foster innovative and transformational clean energy technologies enabling a more energy-independent America in the future.”
ReVolt is planning to finalize new Portland facilities in the coming months and have its US team and operations in place in Oregon by October 2010, in order to accelerate its strategic plans for zinc-air battery development in Portland, the company said.
Congressman David Wu (D-OR) said: “This award will help ReVolt more quickly solidify its US headquarters here in Portland, further establishing Oregon’s leadership in cutting-edge energy technologies.”
McDougall said: “The US market is very important to ReVolt’s corporate development and strategic business plans, and having the DOE and ARPA-E’s strategic support and endorsement gives us a major boost in this fast-moving market as we engage with potential customers, partners and investors.”
The funding award is given to ReVolt under ARPA-E’s Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation (BEEST) program, charged with improving US energy security, spurring economic growth and significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions by developing a new generation of ultra-high energy density, low-cost battery technologies for long range electric vehicles.
ReVolt was among just 37 final awardees selected from more than 540 initial proposals to share in a combined $106m award pool by the agency.
