Posted on 06/12/2014 11:16:36 AM PDT by thackney
Two companies have developed a new type of electric vehicle battery said to offer a 1,000 mile range, with prices and whole-life costs comparable to a conventional petrol or diesel engine. The joint project between metals specialist Alcoa and green technology company Phinergy has produced a demonstrator featuring an aluminium-air battery, designed as a range extender for the lithium-ion units used in most electric vehicles.
Already used in military applications, the battery uses a reaction with air and water over 50 aluminium plates, each of which can drive a car for up to 20 miles. The unit is designed so that drivers can exhaust the lithium-ion battery and continue using the energy in these cartridges but, as aluminium-air batteries are not rechargeable, the cartridges would have to be replaced afterwards.
Once depleted, the aluminium cartridges can be recycled to produce new ones. Alcoa and Phinergy hope to have the technology commercialised within the next year or two, boosting the range of electric vehicles by up to 1,000 miles without the weight or cost disadvantage of a larger lithium-ion unit.
Martin Briere, President of Alcoa Canada, said: ‘Automakers want technologies that enable zero-emission electric cars to travel distances that compete with gasoline-powered cars. The aluminum-air battery has the potential to meet that challenge using fully recyclable material with no CO2 emissions.’
Aviv Tzidon, CEO of Phinergy, added: ‘Electric vehicle adoption has been slowed by the limited range of regular batteries, causing what is commonly known as range anxiety. With Phinergy’s technology, and Alcoa’s industrial leadership across both the aluminum value chain and the automotive market, we see an exciting opportunity to help move electric vehicles into the mainstream.’
Nothing a good dose of crony capitalism can't handle....
So, this means you will have to replace the 1000 mile battery once a month (at least).
Most people drive more than a thousand miles a month. What is the price of this non-rechargeable battery?
That would depend if you paid for a Tesla or a Leaf...
I AM right.
Phinergy-Alcoa’s plan is for automakers to use tiny lithium ion packs so they use more aluminum air packs.
That is not the plan of the automakers.
Tesla also has a similar patent.
There will be at least three competing firms making these. So Alcoa-Phinergy will not be able to dictate to automakers how they configure the lithium ion packs.
They describe it used as a range extender beyond the lithium rechargable battery.
Drive 20 miles to work and back, no use.
Drive out of town for a road trip, then you use it.
I currently drive an FR-S. I live in a motorcyclist’s paradise and this car takes full advantage of the twisties, every single day on my commute. It’s only got 200 hp, but it’s pretty light and the slippery tires not only allow me to drift every day, but get third gear chirping if I really, REALLY want to annoy someone...
But I’d give it up for this car which I suspect would handle pretty well too, of only because it is so small, but has a fairly long wheelbase.
The only benefits to rechargables is recharging in a parking lot from large solar arrays nearby or charging with nuclear overnight. What will happen with rechargables on the highway is removing the old battery and inserting a new one. That's the only those will work on the fly and this would be no different.
That said, it's totally uneconomical just like current EVs.
So what is the total cost, including subsidies and tax breaks? What is the total amount of pollution, considering all phases of production, and ultimate disposal of the units?
Going by history as to how electric vehicles actually perform in real world conditions - night (lights) winter (heater) summer (air-conditioning) wretched traffic (stuck runing heat or air and not going anywhere) I had friends at Ga Power who used to use company electric cars. I remember one guy went from downtown to the perimeter (about 18 miles) and ran out of juice to get back. Fortunately there was a costco with an electric charging station nearby, so after an hour or two he was able to return.
“This battery would have to be recycled for less than $115 in order to be cheaper than $4.00/gallon gasoline, as brand new, 2014 model, 35 mpg crapboxes can be purchased all day for $15K at EVERY car dealership.
Even my 420 HP mustang daily driver gets 23mpg, so my fuel cost for 1000 miles with $4 gallon gas is less than $175.
“
This EV would not need your $8000 gas engine. Factor that into the cost. (Actually, their targeted market would be hybrids)
Fancy batteries run at an optimal temp, vary that either way and everything skews downward.
Zero-emissions is a fantasy, maybe at the operating end of the first drive, but not in production, maintenance or repair/replacement. Just like everything else....
There is no free ride, (or free lunches).
The Hybrids I understand, the Hydrogen not at all.
BFL
LOTUS: Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.
LOL
Think of a diesel-electric locomotive: it burns diesel fuel to generate electricity (ac converted to dc) which drives the engine.
In the system described in the article, aluminum is oxidized by air (in effect “burned”) to generate energy electrochemically, which drives the engine.
One critical difference: one can obtain diesel by refining petroleum you find in holes in the ground (essentially), but you’re not going to find any naturally-occurring aluminum metal.
The “fuel” for the electrochemical system has to be refined using, yes, electricity - and due to losses associated with the laws of thermodynamics, you have to put more electricity into the system than that which you ultimately get out.
So essentially this system allows available primary forms of energy (coal, nukes, etc) to be used in a transportation system. Whether it’s economically viable is another question.
TSLA’s Lithium Ion 60kw battery has a 230 mile range and the 80kw battery has a 300 mile range.
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