The Austin Chronicle: News: Will Austin's Silicon Hills Supply Plug-In Hybrids' Techno Entrails? - Valence mentioned

Will Austin's Silicon Hills Supply Plug-In Hybrids' Techno Entrails?
BY DANIEL MOTTOLA

Extract:
"Dave Tuttle is heading up the Digital Horsepower Initiative for the Austin Chamber of Commerce, which pimps local tech firms like Cypress Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, Spansion, and Venkel, offering auto-keyed tech products. Tuttle spoke Wednesday night alongside reps from Austin-based Freescale Semiconductor, currently the auto industry's largest chip supplier, and locally headquartered Valence Technology, one of a handful of worldwide manufacturers of large-format lithium-ion phosphate batteries, which Tuttle called 'a tipping point technology for PHEVs.' Kevin Klein, Freescale's global auto marketing manager, said today's cars have up to 80 microcontrollers, and with more hybridization comes more demand for computerized controls and software. Later, Bob Kanode, Valence's CEO, said his firm's batteries offer the safety, capacity, and fast-charge capabilities that today's lead, acid, and nickel metal-hydride batteries cannot. The PHEVs being developed today offer 'the best of both worlds,' said Tuttle, operating as zero-emission electric vehicles for their 40-mile battery range (70% of Ameri�cans drive 33 miles or less per day) and then as high-efficiency hybrids once their combustion engine kicks in. "

The Austin Chronicle: News: Will Austin's Silicon Hills Supply Plug-In Hybrids' Techno Entrails?