19 new 100 mile range electric cars announced
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dogman dan
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We'll see electric vehicles in the US eventually. It just seem like its scope might be a little limited within the next decade, but that could change dramatically if EESTOR produces their fabled capacitor or an affordable miracle battery emerges.
lawsonuw
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swbluto said:
The only miracle I'm hopping for is a price war among the advanced Lithium ion battery makers. (i.e. no LiCO cells)
Marty
Patriot
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From everything I've read, and heard from radio interviews by its execs, the Altairnano company's Lithium Titanate battery is just about what we need. Their ability to charge in 10 minutes is one of the big selling points. Also, they have a lifespan that apparently will achieve the life of the vehicle. Phoenix Motorcars just got their first delivery of batteries a couple months ago, and now the Navy has dumped something like $3,000,000.00 into developement for a shipboard backup battery for testing on submarines. This of course, is a much better replacement for the old Lead Acid battery tech they are still using today. Much more power in a compact space, and made here in the USA.
The idea, is that fleet sales and military contracts will allow Altairnano to produce the product for use over the next couple of years until their manufacturing ability, and production cost drops. Their goal is to get the price down to below Lead Acid within 2 years.
The idea, is that fleet sales and military contracts will allow Altairnano to produce the product for use over the next couple of years until their manufacturing ability, and production cost drops. Their goal is to get the price down to below Lead Acid within 2 years.
Patriot said:
Define: Watt-hour/$? Gravimetric Density/$? Volumetric Density/$?
If the watt-hour/$ metric actually reached parity with Lead Acid,I think I'd..... I'd... be simply amazed.
I wonder, though, if lithium can sustain the amount of amounted demanded supplied at those price levels. From increased consumption comes increased depletion which means less long-term supply. And where demand increases while supply contracts comes higher prices. Well, hopefully *another* energy storage and/or sufficient energy transmission technology emerges that IS sustainable. And, for example for the last one, imagine road-side attenaes wirelessly sending electricity/energy to passing cars and each car had a capacitor with enough capacitance to handle the acceleration/hill-climbing needed. Not that the technology exists NOW, but if it emerged, wouldn't that be cool?swbluto said:And, for example for the last one, imagine road-side attenaes wirelessly sending electricity/energy to passing cars and each car had a capacitor with enough capacitance to handle the acceleration/hill-climbing needed.
Nikola Tesla's electric car
After the AC induction motor, we think that the greatest invention of Tesla was the electric car. This was no ordinary battery driven car because this car took its power from the ether, just like an automobile antenna picks up radio waves from the ether.
In 1931, under the financing of Pierce-Arrow and George Westinghouse, a 1931 Pierce-Arrow was selected to be tested at the factory grounds in Buffalo, N.Y. The standard internal combustion engine was removed and an 80-H.P. 1800 r.p.m. electric motor installed to the clutch and transmission. The AC motor measured 40 inches long and 30 inches in diameter and the power leads were left standing in the airâ€â€no external power source and no recharging of any batteries was necessary.
At the appointed time, Nikola Tesla arrived from New York City and inspected the Pierce-Arrow automobile. He then went to a local radio store and purchased a handful of tubes (12), wires and assorted resistors. A box measuring 24 inches long, 12 inches wide and 6 inches high was assembled housing the circuit. The box was placed on the front seat and had its wires connected to the air-cooled, brushless motor. Two rods 1/4" in diameter stuck out of the box about 3" in length.
Mr. Tesla got into the driver's seat, pushed the two rods in and stated, "We now have power". He put the car into gear and it moved forward! This vehicle, powered by an AC motor, was driven to speeds of 90 m.p.h. and performed better than any internal combustion engine of its day! One week was spent testing the vehicle. Several newspapers in Buffalo reported this test. When asked where the power came from, Tesla replied, "From the ether all around us".
Here is a report of the incident from Tesla biographer Marc J. Seifer:
"The car [was] a standard Pierce Arrow, with the engine removed and certain other components installed instead. The standard clutch, gear box, and drive train remained.... Under the hood, there was a brushless electric motor, connected to [or in place of] the engine.... Tesla would not divulge who made the motor.
Set into the dash was a "power receiver" consisting of a box ... containing 12 radio tubes.... A vertical antenna, consisting of a 6 ft. rod, was installed and connected to the power receiver [which was] in turn, connected to the motor by two heavy, conspicuous cables.... Tesla pushed these in before starting and said: "We now have power."
If this tale is to be believed, it would mean that Tesla had also installed one of his powerful oscillators somewhere near Niagara Falls to provide the wireless energy needed to power the vehicle."(Seifer, Wizard. The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla, p. 419).
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