MiniCooper lithium 65k hybrid on Sams cover

A fun set of wheels for the ** Cashed up Greenies ** trend setters.

Click on the Photo once and get a full sized view.=TG

EV - Altairnano lithium titinate battery talk

This is the new Phoenix SUT, [Sport Utility Truck], using the quick-charge AltairNanoSafe battery pack.


Charging forward in Exponential times with the latest battery talk . .

Between AltairNanosafe battery and AutoBlogGreen

AG: we have developed a new class of electrode materials that are used in lithium ion batteries. And it's analogous to what was done with the nickel-based batteries 20 or so years ago when metal hydride electrode materials replaced cadmium in nickel cadmium batteries to produce what's called nickel metal hydride batteries. And we're doing something similar with our nano structure ceramic materials where we produce a lithium titanate material that's used to replace graphite that's conventionally used in conventional lithium ion batteries and as a result we have a new class of batteries that we call nanotitanate to reflect the new electrode material.

Now, these batteries have almost unbelievable performance in that they can be recharged very rapidly. Depending upon the power supply, we can recharge these batteries in less than a minute.

In large format that would power, say, a full sized all electric vehicle that carries five adults. Those battery packs can be recharged in less than ten minutes.



These are not souped-up golf carts. These vehicles can break loose the tires from a standing start, accelerate to speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour, even though that's higher than the speed limits of American roads.

The batteries have tremendous life, estimated to be in the range of 12 to 15 years, or about the design life of the vehicle. And importantly, these batteries can operate at minus 50 Centigrade to plus 75 Centigrade, or 165 Fahrenheit. It's unusual battery technology and the technology's been validated by third parties.

AG: We have been talking with Zap and Lotus and yes, Zap has, aspirations to use the Altair technology in their vehicle. And we're in discussion around the commercial terms of that agreement. Just a comment if I may, Sam. I'm not aware of anyone who has battery technology similar to Altairnano's NanoSafe battery performance.

ABG: Right. That's why I asked the question the way I did. Essentially your company are the only ones that would fit into the description of what Zap has given for what they expect their vehicle to do.

AG: Well, I'm sure that Steven is, Steven Schneider, the CEO of Zap, he's been quite interested in the Altairnano technology for some time. we've had extensive discussions with Steven and his team and I think he's quite excited about the Altair nanotechnology and what it can do for the Zap vehicle.

ABG: Well, it's definitely very exciting technology, and I'm looking forward to actually seeing it in, in real vehicles in the real world. speaking of which, are you also, working with any other car makers besides Phoenix and potentially Zap, at this point?

AG: Yes, we are. We have several programs, the one that we've talked the most about is our program with Alcoa where we're working on a joint program to provide hybrid electric battery packs that would be used in medium duty hybrid electric trucks.


These are parcel delivery trucks and route trucks. We do have some other programs with other automotive OEMs and truck manufacturers, but we've not really disclose those yet, but we'll be saying something about that the second quarter of 2007.
================ AutoBlogGreen.com
=TG

GM and lithium-ion battery begging

[Credit = Autoblog.com photo gallery]

By NORIHIKO SHIROUZU
April 13, 2007; Page B1

Wall Street Journal

General Motors Corp. executives -- blue over their company's less-than-green reputation and envious of eco-darling Toyota Prius -- began searching the world for advanced batteries they hoped would power a new generation of gas-electric hybrid cars.

Most roads led them to Japan, the leader in battery technology and #HYPERLINK *http://online.wsj.com/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=tm*

WSJournal

Toyota Motor Corp.'s home turf. Several GM engineers and executives describe their experience at Panasonic EV Energy Co. Ltd., one of the top makers of hybrid-car batteries, as typical of the reception they received there: When GM team members asked for detailed information about the company's most sophisticated automotive lithium-ion batteries, Panasonic EV refused.

A Panasonic EV spokesman says that as a matter of company policy it only discloses that kind of information to its parent company, Toyota.

Facing growing pressure to curtail greenhouse-gas emissions, U.S. auto makers are increasingly worried that the critical battery technology they'll need to compete is getting locked up by Japanese rivals who moved more quickly to develop gas-electric hybrid vehicles.

*It's important to have the knowledge base on advanced automotive battery technology and manufacturing capacity right here locally in the U.S.* says Beth Lowery, GM vice president of Environment and Energy.
======== Wall Street Journal

Guess crunching the EV-1 in 1993-95 was not too smart.
Now GM is worried about Toyota killing off the new GM Volt with an EV that will go twice as far for less money. = TG

Al Gore warming guilt

Looking at the picture and AlGoreWarm*s oratory, we hear his sermon. . .

Suspect ye not the GM of auto who were shocked that their rudimentary electic car of 1993, the EV1, was a wild and addictive public success. Indicating the death of the ICE engine. So much so, that they gathered every last one and crushed them in a secure GM compound.

Suspect ye not the Chevron / Esso / Texaco of oil who gained control of patents for the large format NiMH battery. The ideaL BATTERY FOR AUTO-MOTION. For nay, they have no wish to keep us dependent upon products of their 8 to 12 Billion$ refineries and distribution networks.

Suspect ye not the governments who, [at the moment], have no idea how to bring in tractor trailer loads of money on the 8 to 16 cents of charge demanded by EVs that can plug in anywhere anytime.

No, ye sinners. Look within thyne own black souls, guilty of tossing tetra-packs and disposable razors with no sense of guilt.= TG
Graphics H/T SmallDeadAnimals.com

Gas engine vs Electric Motor or EV [vehicle]

Gas engines lose efficiency at every junction from drilling crude, pumping, refining, storage, tanker loading, transport, unloading , pumping at retail sales points and it burns at about 22% energy efficiency. [Ethanol has much lower efficieny and costs more, but does help displace some barrels of crude imports.]

Not so with electric engines:

[ Hydro power is derived from gravity pull of water through a turbine spinning a generator and fed directly by wire to your wall plug. Battery charging normally occurs from 1 to 6 am during off peak demand.]

When the power gets flipped on, the engine goes. Delivery of power to the engine is not as big of an issue. Most electrics also only have two gears, forward and reverse, so drivers don't get stumped by a mis-shift. Additionally, very little of the energy gets lost.

Mr. Wright, engineer of the X1-EV said . .
*Of the energy you take out of the wall, almost all of it ends up on the road,* he said. *They are so close to nearly perfect that there is no point in inventing anything else.*

This is the link


Electricity is also comparatively cheap. The X1 consumes about 220 watt-hours per mile in city driving. That's the equivalent of 170 miles per gallon: The vehicle's vanity license plate reads 170 MPGE.[+-42 MPl.]

It can be charged from a 110-volt wall socket and will be compatible with the faster chargers Tesla will bring to market.

The problem is the batteries, which effectively serve as the gas tank on an electric car. The 538-pound battery in the X1 can hold about the same amount of energy as three liters of gas.
As a result, electric cars can only travel so far without recharging. The EV1 from General Motors could only go 130 miles before it needed a recharge, and it needed a special charger. [ All drivers LOVED their EV-1s in spite of the short range. =TG]

The all-electric Xebra from ZAP doesn't go on the freeway. The Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car coming from Tesla Motors, can go 200 miles before its 6,831-cell lithium ion battery peters out.
The X1 can go around 100 miles under regular conditions and might only go 25 miles in racing conditions before it needs a recharge.

*Batteries are also intrinsically expensive things,* Wright said. *There's a lot of R&D involved.*

The *Better Battery* could come from Chevron , as they hold the patents [from Ovonics], for the *Large Format NiMH battery*. But, I suspect Chevron bought the rights in order to keep the efficient battery from cutting into fuel sales.

Rumours mention that the secretive German based firm, Eestor is onto a *Super Battery*. Question is; will the designer of the better new battery sell the rights to Exxon or Chevron for quick profits, or will they actually go into production? = TG

GM volt EV plug-in

General Motors will roll out its new Chevrolet Volt Concept later today. The sedan is powered by GM’s new E-flex hybrid system. The plug-in four-seater has a brace of lithium-ion cells that can be fully charged in six hours using a standard 110-volt outlet, giving the Volt a range of 40 city miles.

When the batteries are depleted, it then employs its turbocharged, 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine to replenish the cells, theoretically giving the Volt up to 150 miles-per-gallon. According to GM’s car czar Bob Lutz, “More than half of all Americans live within 20 miles of where they work (40 miles round trip). In that case, you might never burn a drop of gas during the life of the car.” Like seemingly every new GM car these days, the Volt’s tri-banger is also amiable to running on E85, giving it even greater credibility among the environmentalists.

http://news.windingroad.com/concept-cars/naias-gm-rolling-out
-volt-plug-in-hybrid-concept-today/

Winding Road Mag

=== Winding Road Magazine = TG