Vehicles in which the electric motor and battery assist the internal combustion engine will be extinct within years as their technical complexity far outweighs any fuel and emissions savings. According to battery manufacturer Valence Technology, the future lies in lithium-iron battery technology and its potential for the road transport industry and car haulers everywhere.

According to the company, mild hybrid vehicles are overly complex and expensive when you consider the actual fuel savings and tailpipe emissions they return. In addition, the difference in terms of economy and emissions between a mild hybrid and a modern diesel engine is negligible. Lithium-iron cobalt oxide batteries have a greater storage capacity but lack the longevity of lithium-iron magnesium phosphate. The light commercial vehicle sector is the target for this alternative technology. Light commercials run predefined urban routes and cover anything between 30 and 80 miles a day base-to-base. The 100-mile range of these batteries is ideal for this purpose.

Phosphate batteries are also safer than the regular ones found in laptops, which become unstable above 160 degrees Celsius. The company stresses that its technology will not be replacing the internal combustion engine any time soon as electric vehicles need to be supported by an adequate infrastructure. The company also predicts that electric vehicle companies will be absorbed by major passenger and CV manufacturers, allowing them to buy quickly into the technology.