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December 2008 Posts
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Not "conductive charging"it is "inductive charging"
It uses AC magnetic fields to transmit power from the paddle to the car. Great technology, but it only works over very short distances.
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Yeah, what John said. *Conductive* charging is where the metal bits actually touch. That's what happens when you plug an appliance into the wall. The metal hits metal and the current can flow. That's as simple (and as efficient) as energy transfer gets.
Inductive (like the EV1 and like my Rav4EV, and the Chevy S10 Pickup and the Nissan Hypermini...) charging is with a paddle that is covered in plastic. There is no metal contact, and the energy is transfered over a short distance. Like magic! Not as efficient, and way more complicated. But very, very safe. There are never any sparks. This is the same technology used in the better rechargeable toothbrushes.
What if EEstor announces a usable UltraCap delivery to Zenn during the Christmas break?
I think an emergency Evcast podcast would be in order. Happy Holidays
Creating energy from pressure on the road via the piezoelectric effect? Won't it also cause the car to expend more energy, by increasing the rolling resistance? I would think this is a net loss of energy, unless the material can creat an electrical charge without any road 'flexing' or increasing the friction of the road to the tires. I think a more promising idea is to harvest the heat that the black top of most roads absorbs- I read an article on this sometime this last week, but cannot find it now- but at least here you are havesting energy from the sun, not stealing it from a car's efficiency.
Something else to consider about Intel perhaps jumping into the battery business, is that they can bring R&D and Manufacturing prowess into a field that sounds very different, but is growing more and more high-tech.
And be nice to Phoenix Cars, Bo- they have not put a mass-produced EV on the road yet- but then again who has? And they do have a few working SUT's built, and seem ready now to start producing in 2009, especially with their MOU with with Hawaii.
And the analogy of buying AA and AAA batteries likened to Project Better Place's idea of swapping out a car's batteries- it does not really hold water- even with AA and AAA batteries, you are better off buying rechargeable batteries. And Li-Ion batteries are, in some chemical formats, apparently capable of a quick charge now- it would be cheaper to build fast charge stations across the US rather than battery swapping stations, and it keeps one company from monopolizing the process.
Paul, With all due respect, perhaps you missed the point with the AA analogy. Whether the batteries are single-use or rechargable, having the batteries swappable makes it possible to keep your camera (or whatever) running continuously by simply putting in fresh batteries.
Let's consider the iPOD as comparable to most EV's. If your iPOD runs out of juice, you have no choice except to wait while the battery charges up on a charger. The battery is not removable. This is a bold choice on Apple's part and is done to save cost and perhaps to simplify the design of the product. If the battery dies (and some do), the iPOD must be sent in for professional service. The battery is an integrated part of the product and not designed for easy removal. It looks like that will be the same for most EV's.
The more I think about charging stations and battery swapping stations, the more I come to the conclusion that GM has the correct solution with the E-REV. If I only drive, for example, 30 miles per day, then I can use all electric mode and just charge up at home. There is no need for new infrastructure because I will charge up with the existing 110V outlet in my garage. If I want to go >40 mile on a certain day, I can use the gasoline. I can fill up the car at the ubiquitous gas station. again no new infrastructure needed. I think most people that purchase an EV will also have a gasoline power car for longer trips. The E-REV concept combines this behaviour in one vehicle.
I think the first generation E-REV vehicle will have 40 mile range and that will increase over time. Perhaps the second generation will have a 60 mile range. This seems to be an excellent evolutionary (not revolutionary) way to get away from gasoline. I cringe every time I hear an EV nut (not you Darrell) insisting on buying only a pure EV. I feel this is a situation of the perfect being the enemy of the good.
Later
John C. Briggs
I agree about the Volt- it was like smacking my forehead when I first heard the announcement of it from GM two years ago. But I hope we have both PHEV and pure EV's- it would be nice to have both, especially since a pure EV will be cheaper, more reliable, and longer lasting since it will have a whole lot less number of parts to fail. And I can see the current iteration of the Volt going from 40 milesto 60 if, after time, they find that the battery can take a bit more charge and discharge over time, like say from 20-80 percent charge instead of the 30-70 percent charge range it is currently set at.
Paul, I do wonder about the idea that pure EV's will be cheaper. This seems likely to be true in the long term (perhaps 20 years, who knows) when battery technology is much better. But for the short term, a 16 KWH battery pack and and ICE generator (e.g. the Volt) is going to be much cheaper than a 53 KWH battery pack (e.g. Tesla Roadster). As for the reliability and elegance of a pure EV, I totally agree with you. My new year's wish:The Chevy Volt makes it to the marketplace.ThanksJohn C. Briggs
Yes- certainly over the long run, when batteries become cheaper- but even currently, I wonder if a pure EV will be cheaper (if net yet as practical due to range limitation and lack of quick charge stations) with the less maitenance costs and parts replacement costs over the life of the vehicle- well maybe not quite cheaper yet;-) But if Gas especially soars back up, and battery prices come down even a bit, the cost over the life of the car I think will shrink below even a PHEV in the not-too-distant future- but I an an optimistic sort who still believes in Santa Clause and EESTOR;-)
