Funny how some humans have such short term cerebral attributes. Maybe it’s because we’re all so busy worrying about today (nothing new there).
Yes the price of gas has gone down and yes the global economic downturn is responsible. Hmmm…, conundrum, which came first; the oily chicken or the oily egg?
In my naive way I could only guess in hindsight that oil giants had foreseen the crisis ahead and maxed out their earnings before the crunch came (and in a sense contributing to it), now all they have to do is cut back production to stabilize and edge prices up again, and pull our strings again… and again…
“Oh but electric cars are a ways off,” I hear them bleat, and what I am told now is that I have wasted my money. Perhaps, perhaps not, but I do know that as batteries get better, in a few years I’ll just do a retrofit to keep my car going (provided the car body itself can hold out) – and even better, a lot of the stuff can be swapped to another car should I want something that won’t fall apart around me. Sure my old car is not sleek and new, but then neither am I, hah-hah. Stay fit and healthy – and that goes for EVs too, more easily than an oily gas guzzler.
On the + Side, We Hope…
Regarding the latest batteries, there is literally so much new stuff talked about out there that little wonder many people tear their hair out when discerning the BS from the smell of fact. Take Texan EEstore for instance, touting interest in an ultracapacitor ‘battery’ a year or so ago. The technology supposedly makes the new lithium phosphate and polymer chemistry old technology (just when the world is beefing up lithium supplies (and, incidentally, talking of a future ‘peak lithium’)).
Here’s a pic of the ‘battery’, apparently to be used in the ZENN electric car from Canada, http://www.zenncars.com/ and a meaningless CAD diagram is shown also…
EEstore Supercap Energy Reservoir.
A pack of these things are supposed to charge in around eight minutes and go for around 160 miles. Cool. Unlike regular super caps with a high charge and discharge rate, the discharge is tempered and delivered when you need it. Remember the titanates I mentioned in a previous post? These are similar; the capacitor is ceramic (no stinking oil) with a big surface area in barium-titanate insulation to take on more charge.
There is no ‘eestore’ web site yet. I can’t get any tech info on it (maybe I’m not looking hard enough). I know some flashy web sites have a lot of promise and not much substance and I know that intellectual property held by some cannot even be hinted at online without a plethora of pundits going down the technical cul-de-sac to leave waste a few more promising websites that sit around for a few years. But we can live in hope; and realize that many want to protect their IP.
And speaking of technological cul-de-sacs, I wonder what pure EVers thought of this article when it appeared some time ago…
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1669723_1669725,00.html
Shudder…
I am all in favor of new battery technology; but will cynicism overrule and gas giants hold us back another ten years? If an old retired guy can build an efficient electric car in his backyard, then there is something seriously wrong with the ethics of car makers.
Tactile Stuff…
Anyway, enough rambling – stuff I can touch, hold and work with has just arrived – the correct battery charger and also (gosh! finally!!) my much sought-after Ross Blade BMS control box – excellent! Australian innovation at its best. Time for some real stuff to play around with. Post soon.
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It is quite true that battery technology is evolving and improving all the time and the limited range issue that is perceived as such a negative by so many, will not be an issue any longer. Plus if oil prices are down right now, that is only temporary. Alternatives to internal combustion engines are required not only because of high oil prices, but also because of the environment.