(Ford: Dearborn, MI) -- Ford Motor Co. has designed the Key Life Test, which takes less than a year to complete, specifically for its new lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries, drawing on more than 20 years of extensive data and experience to deliver reliable hybrid vehicles today.

The test allows engineers to simulate many factors including location of a battery within a vehicle, the temperatures they might have to endure, and various kinds of acceleration and stopping that different drivers would apply. The test’s scope includes the ability to put 150,000 miles (the equivalent of about 10 years of average use) on the test batteries in about 10 months.

The Key Life Test aims at delivering higher-quality and even more reliable batteries, says Kevin Layden, director of Ford electrification programs.

In fact, battery reliability ranks as the single-most important purchase consideration by potential hybrid customers—topping 17 other factors such as fuel economy and number of safety features, according to a recent Ford-commissioned survey.

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