Outdoor power equipment manufacturer MTD Products has signed a joint development agreement with energy storage startup Gridtential that supports MTD’s push to replace the emission-heavy combustion engines in its lawn and garden fleet with batteries.
Gridtential says the move shows that the $3B traction market, which includes small-scale vehicles and equipment historically reliant on emission-heavy combustion engines, is making strides in energy storage adoption.
Gridtential partner Intevac is supporting process development and preparation of its high-performance battery plates. Intevac is providing both technical and manufacturing support based on its widely deployed thin-film deposition equipment for the hard drive media and solar cell markets.
The initial Alpha units are maintenance-free, 6V AGM batteries that deliver high energy density, longer battery life and improved cycling performance, Gridtential says.
Also this month Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said it is selling its lithium-ion rechargeable battery business assets, including machinery, to Taiwan’s Delta Electronics. MHI plans to shift its management resources into operations in energy storage system products employing lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.