2007 – Year of the electric car

cosmosmagazine.com ^ | 1/10/07 | William Moore

[dangerdoc]

Breakthroughs in battery technology could make 2007 the year that electric cars finally come into their own.

The company claims that their battery shows a cycle life in excess of 20,000 charges and discharges while still retaining 85 per cent of its capacity to store energy.

Altairnano's data show that their battery has a power density of 4,000 w/kg and the ability to safely operate from -50° C to 75° C.

Each credit is worth US$5,000 (about AU$6,500), so a type 3 vehicle is worth US$200,000 (about AU$260,000) in California. Carmakers either have to build their own type 3 vehicles or buy them from another manufacturer - such as Phoenix Motorcars, which plans to sell the SUT initially for around US$45,000 (AU$58,000).

[dangerdoc]

The article is interesting but the part about car manufacturers buying vehicles made by other manufacturers to meet California requirements was a real eye opener.

[romanesq]

Just get me a normal size vehicle that is transparent in use and I'm in.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Where is my FLYING car?

This new millenium is certainly not living up to (50's) expectations.

[Young Werther]

Have a looksie:

Moller

[KarlInOhio]

Altairnano's website has this graph (a little too big to make everyone load) which explains their statements a little more. It doesn't hold as much energy as lithium-ion (about 90 Wh/kg vs about 200 Wh/kg for lithium ion), but it can provide much more power than other batteries. The primary usage of this is that it can also charge much faster.

[TexasTransplant]

Hope this is the year of the Nuclear Plants so we can charge these electric cars.

TT

[AngryJawa]

Moller's been trotting that same vehicle around since the early 1990's - maybe earlier. To my knowledge, he's still not tested it off-tether to this day.

Read the Investment section of his website for grins.

[Kenton]

Soooooo... this probably means that within 5 years or so, electric cars will be reliable enough to own and cheap enough for the average person to buy. Perhaps we are witnessing the beginning of the end for the middle-eastern oil cartels.

I look forward to the day when all the oil-rich Islamocracies have devolved to their prior status of bedouins, and they use their oil to light the lamps in their tents.

[uglybiker]

2007 – Year of the electric car

*snort!*That's what you think!

[dangerdoc]

I used to have that car as my background in windows. It is a beutiful peice of art and a nice dream.

They can't get enough power to weight to fly the thing safely. They've dumped millions into rotary engine technology.

[dangerdoc]

I used to have that car as my background in windows. It is a beutiful peice of art and a nice dream.

They can't get enough power to weight to fly the thing safely. They've dumped millions into rotary engine technology.

This was my first exposure to internet vapor-ware.

[nuke rocketeer]

This is still about only 1/3 of the energy density of gasoline....

[Lx]

You're right, his car is a fraud. Wasn't his latest excuse was that the FAA would fine him if he tried to fly it? All he's ever achieved is a hover.

He has got some interesting rotary engines though so he's not 100% flaky.

[dangerdoc]

Everybody, read the last part of the article on how they plan on selling cars based on goverment mandates. I thought that was much more interesting that just another electric car article.

[Young Werther]

His Dad started the Moller Air Car company in the early 60s!!!!

It pops up every so often in Popular Mechanics and Science Digress.....

I love watching "The Rocketeer" and dream of my personal jet pack! Strap it on and zoom to work high above the maddening crowds!

James Bond had one but I can hope that -- "You Only Live Twice."

[Disambiguator]

That explains a lot of UFO sightings.

[D-Chivas]

That electric car thing is right around the corner, I'm tellin' ya!!!!!

Below, Thomas Edison posing with an electric car in 1913:

[Jeff Gordon]

Amazing. Moller is still paracticing his flying car fraud. How does this guy stay out of jail?

[Jeff Gordon]

Moller's been trotting that same vehicle around since the early 1990's

I saw my first Moller ad in the early 1980s.

[CollegeRepublican]

Who controls the British Crown?
Who keeps the metric system down?
We Do! We Do!
Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
We Do! We Do!
Who holds back the electric car?
Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star?
We Do! We Do!
Who robs cavefish of their sight
Who rigs every Oscar night?
We Do! We Do!