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.’
Seems like we see this headline every two years.
I guess Obama wants to pour more money into this operation before it goes bankrupt.
Depending on how it is charged it may actually produce more air pollution than an internal combustion engine.
Can’t be recharged. They must be recycled.
I only care about the dollars, which they fail to discuss.
How about that. Obama has already visited the Phinergy plant in Israel, and seized the opportunity for a photo op.
http://www.hybridcars.com/renault-nissan-to-use-phinergys-aluminum-air-battery/
Non rechargeable so basically you give up the benefits of a rechargeable battery and the convenience of tens of thousands of gas stations.
I’m sure there are some really good uses for this technology but cars may not be one of them.
Still a function of cost for me.
$10 for a thousand miles? I’ll order the units in advance.
$1,000 for a thousand miles? I keep using gasoline for my commute.
I don’t see it ever used for pulling the trailer.
Looking into my crystal ball for 1000 mile ev batteries and in two years I see ... nothing
It will be used as a range extender/back up battery.
You use lithium ion battery for your every day commute daily driving. 100-250 miles of range.
At 2 AM 30 miles from home you realize you have 1 mile left of lithium ion battery range. Aluminum air battery kicks in.
You are coming home form Las Vegas to Los Angeles. You want to stop half way to recharge. You notice a 1 hr line to get to the charging unit. You blow by it and when your lithium ion battery back goes empty you switch to aluminum air.
Every 1-5 years you go in and swap your old aluminum air non-rechargeable battery for a new one.
They are saying comparable to gas. So ~ $0.10 per mile cost retail.
Seems like a fancy way to burn bauxite for fuel. Sounds expensive.
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.
The math is tough to justify an electric car. Maybe Common Core math will teach kids that in “ends justifies the means math” that the TRUE COST of 1000 miles in a 35 mpg gas car is not $115, but really $1,500... so this battery is a bargain!
I also like how they refer to it as “zero emissions”. Yeah right.
If people think their electric cars are “zero emission” they are NIMBY idiots.
I think the real breakthrough will be a graphene based capacitor.
Okey-dokey. I can scrounge a whole mess of cheap aluminum pots and trays, mashed up soda and beer cans, and such. Just need to know what that magic elixir is and I’m motoring!
Yep.
I saw this abut a year ago and think it would be absolutely PERFECT for my commuter car (125 miles a day on KY twisties). April of 2014 they said.
$7,800 and 84 mpg
Still waiting.
I had a friend that pre-ordered a sparrow 15 years or so ago. Never got one...
https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&hl=en&q=three+wheeled+car+sparrow&oq=three+wheeled+car+sparrow&gs_l=serp.3...5365.7662.0.8361.11.10.0.0.0.0.366.906.2-1j2.3.0.ernk_qsrb...0...1.1.46.serp..8.3.903.ZOoE2CJXJUk
Solar panels and electric cars suit the Left's purposes now, but if it gets to a point where costs come down and those are readily available, then the statists will do a 180. The idea of people living off the grid and traveling wherever they want to go go freely and inexpensively is counter to their ultimate goal of central control of everyone's lives.
ALMOST right.
You use lithium ion battery for your every day commute daily driving. 100-250 20 - 50 miles of range.
Bauxite is processed into alumina, and then into aluminium.
This is just going back from aluminum to alumina, the recycle back to aluminium.
Cost is the issue.
Super economy isn’t my thing anyway. I’d rather have a bit of power (505hp currently and avg 20 mpg on daily commute)
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