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The “Fludis” boat equipped with PowerRack batteries

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Inaugurated in September 2019, the Fludis boat is equipped with PowerTech’s PowerRack Lithium battery system, allowing it to sail 100% electrically in the centre of Paris.

This sustainable urban logistics project is a solution to the difficulties encountered by urban freight transport operators, by offering a warehouse boat capable of handling the stages of route preparation, hosting logistics teams, as well as transporting the bicycle-cargoes used for the last kilometer.

Thanks to the rational use of this “warehouse vessel”, and its independence from loading / unloading infrastructures on the quayside, and the dimensions compatible with the canals, the system can be adapted to each agglomeration crossed by a navigable waterway.

The Fludis boat has been designed to have the lowest possible environmental impact: 100% electric propulsion with batteries. The boat also has a generator onboard to extand the range and to remain autonomous where grid is not available. At the port of Gennevilliers, it can be connected to electricity at the quayside. Consumption is estimated at 70 litres of off-road diesel per day for the trip between Gennevilliers and Paris.

The firm IKEA will benefit from this new type of boat. The Swedish company had opened a depot in February in the port of Gennevilliers to get closer to the capital. Cargo bicycles, which can carry up to 250 kg, will deliver to customers in the central districts (from the 1st to the 7th arrondissements). “30% of orders can be processed,” Ikea explains.

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New PowerBrick® version with new generation cell

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Our PowerBrick® product range is expanding with 4 new versions using our new generation LiFePO4 lithium cells.

As a reminder, all our products now use the new generation cell which ensures a better service life (3000 cycles at 100% DoD at 1C, 4500 cycles at 80% DoD at 1C) and an increased energy density of +25%.

The PowerBrick 12V-30Ah makes its entry using the PowerBrick 12V-20Ah enclosure, i. e. an energy density increased by +50% in the same enclosure
The PowerBrick 12V-45Ah complements the 12V-40Ah version by using the same box (+12.5% more energy)
PowerBrick 12V-70Ah uses the same housing as the PowerBrick 12V-55Ah (+27% more energy)
Ditto for the PowerBrick 48V-72Ah which takes over the case of the 48V-61Ah version (+18% more capacity)

All previous ranges are preserved, and all now equipped with our new generation cell.

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New high-performance lithium LiFePO4 cells

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Lithium Iron Phosphate - LFP - LiFePO4-cell

After more than a year of intensive testing, we are now using a new high-performance lithium LiFePO4 cells to replace the cells used in our products.

This new generation of cell retains all the safety and robustness of those used in our products to date and adds two major improvements:

  • Specific Energy improved by 25% : It is possible to accommodate 1/4 more energy in the same volume.
  • Improved operation life by 50% : Cycling tests performed show a performance of 3000 cycles of full charge-discharge cycles (100% depth of discharge) at 1C. This represents a 50% increase in the number of cycles compared to the previous generation.
    At a DoD of 80% at 1C, the number of cycles performed rises to 4500.

Below chart shows the estimated number of cycles for our new generation of Lithium LiFePO4 cells, according to the discharge power and DOD figures. The test conditions are those of a laboratory (constant temperature of 25°C, constant charge and discharge power).

Lithium Iron Phosphate Life Cycle
Life Cycle chart of new LiFePO4 cell generation

We can read from the chart the below figures :

  • 3 000 cycles at 100% DoD @ 1C
  • 4 500 cycles at 80% DoD @ 1C
  • 10 000 cycles at 60% DoD @ 1C
  • etc.

It should be noted that following the number of completed cycles, the cell still have a nominal capacity > 80% of the original capacity.

Our main product ranges: PowerBrick, PowerRack and PowerModule, will benefit in the coming months from this new generation of cells with an increase in capacity, a reduction in weight but also a significantly improved lifespan.

Stay tuned for more information

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Lithium batteries for the mini transat “La Boulangère”

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Mini-Transat “La Boulangère” is a long course of 4050 nautical miles alone, on the smallest offshore racing boats, only 6.50m long, will be done in two stages. The first, departing from La Rochelle on September 22nd 2019, will go to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria located in the Canary Islands. The second of 2700 miles will last around two weeks for the fastest until the final finish in Le Marin en Martinique from mid-November.

For this 2019 vintage, we are accompanying skipper Bastian Oger in his race. Bastian reqyestedus to equip him with PowerBrick batteries because he wanted to save several tens of kilos on board. For the race, every gram counts and a few tens of kilos can make a big advantage.
So we equipped the boat with two PowerBrick 12v-100Ah (one main and one backup) to power all onboard instruments during the race. The service batteries will be recharged with solar panels.
The autonomy tests are very conclusive with twice capacity for roughly half weight. And Bastian is very happy and eager to start, so we are !

Here are some pictures of Bastian aboard his boat. We wish him good luck for the race.

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