Battery Cars

[Over The Hill]

Battery powered cars have the big problem of charging them up and the limited range of each charge.

Every other battery powered thing I can think of gets over its “range” issue by being able to put new batteries in it, so why not with a car?

I am sure you could have the battery slung under the car or in a big slot and all you do is drive over a fitting machine that swaps the battery automatically for you. Sort of like a drive through burger place.

You would have a contract for using this with the suppler and it is just charged to you.

That sorts out the problems with the battery car. The charging can be done with cheap off peak electricity from hydro or whatever is not being used at night.

Anyone see any problem in this? Why has it not been done?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Would such a system be any more eco friendly than what we do now? You've still got to manufacture the batteries, and dispose of them at the end of their life. And generate the electricity to charge them.

 

[Smokin Joe]

1/ People wouldn't buy the cars until there is a national network of battery stations.

2/ No-one would open a network of battery stations until there were enough electric cars to make it pay.

In addition, I don't think swapping the batteries on an electric car is anything as simple as changing the AAA's on your ipod, they are more of a built-in fixture than something bolted to a tray.

Electric cars will not really catch on until they develop a method of dumping 300 miles worth of charge into the battery in the time it currently takes to fill a fuel tank.

 

[Night Train]

It has been thought of for some time but the sticking point is the manufacturers of both the cars and the batteries. It would mean that all manufacturers would need to have a standardised power pack, fixings and electrical connections. The battery manufacturers would need to do like wise.
The result would be that a huge investment would need to be made by either the battery manufaturers or the car manufacturers to establish a standard that everyone else works to.
Any standard design would then cause a limiting factor to the individual company's R&D for future vehicles and batteries.

However, it is not impossible. Some vehicles are made with removable battery packs for changing when the batteries reach the end of their life. This would allow an infrastructure for fuel stations to swap out batteries. Drivers would then own the vehicle and lease the charged batteries from the battery company at each change. But if there is no standard then garages would have to stock many different kinds of battery and charging system to supply any vehicle that came in.

 

[Night Train]

Electric cars will not really catch on until they develop a method of dumping 300 miles worth of charge into the battery in the time it currently takes to fill a fuel tank.

It can be done with flywheel batteries but there isn't the range yet.

 

[Maz]

Does anyone know if the electric cars at the moment recharge their batteries on a downhill stretch? i.e. use gravitational force/dynamo to recharge?

 

[fossyant]

I also think if you look into the lifecycle cost of battery car, like a Prius, for example, it's pretty terrible...especially the battery cost and environmental damage from producing them.........

We have a 10 year old Yaris.....it still does 50-60 mpg on a run, over 40 mpg in town, and seats 5. My FIL has a new Prius (he's had it 2 years) - it get's maybe 45-50 on a run and about the same in town....and the thing needs dealer attention regular, where our Yaris is serviced by me and has been virtually faultless in 10 years (1 x water pump - fixed before it failed, 1 x door locking motor) - and of course usual pads and tyres.....

It still looks like new...........

 

[fossyant]

Does anyone know if the electric cars at the moment recharge their batteries on a downhill stretch? i.e. use gravitational force/dynamo to recharge?

well.... only Hybrids, like the Prius/Lexus big 4wd thingy ! They have petrol as well though !

 

[Night Train]

Does anyone know if the electric cars at the moment recharge their batteries on a downhill stretch? i.e. use gravitational force/dynamo to recharge?

Some do and it does extend their range. It can cause problems as regenerative braking can lead drivers to forget to apply the road brakes and can cause problems with skidding. On a front wheel drive electric car it would be like applying only the front brakes and on a rear wheel drive, rear brakes.

It is a good thing if properly managed.

The Prius is a daft car that doesn't gain much in economy and has the added weight, resources and disposal issues of the batteries.

 

[Chrisz]

................not to mention that parts are shipped all over the world for manufacturing, re-manufacturing, assembling etc. It's total carbon footprint is somewhat larger than that advertised and once it's dead (when the batteries cease to hold a charge) you have the added problem of safe disposal.

As to removable battery trays - think about the weight! Would you want some 'oik' with a fork truck anywhere near your car trying to remove large heavy objects?

 

[Mr Pig]

And how many cars go through a filling station in one day? they are going to store and charge all of those batteries?

 

[Night Train]

Yep, there are many difficulties in ending our oil dependence hence my thoughts on my thesis thread.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

problem solved. honda have developed an electric car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

 

[another_dave_b]

I think Israel might be the one to watch. Project Better Place is building a national network of charging stations, with Renault supplying the cars.

 

[Night Train]

Hydrogen fuel cells use platinum as the catylist adn mining of platinum is very energy intensive as is producing, cooling and compressing hydrogen.