A 375-Mile Battery Range: Too Good to be True?

[detlefo]

From The New York Times:

Controversy surrounds a potential record run by an electric vehicle in Germany last year. However, an e-newsletter publisher finds that its developers are on the move again.

http://nyti.ms/hTCSP1

 

[EVDRIVER]

From The New York Times:

Controversy surrounds a potential record run by an electric vehicle in Germany last year. However, an e-newsletter publisher finds that its developers are on the move again.

http://nyti.ms/hTCSP1

A 115kw pack, if a leaf had that and you drove slow one could easily do that. No big news here, just a big giant pack.
Years ago Tom form ACP drove the t Zero with a smaller pack from SF to almost LA. Put that pack in a few low weight EVs and it will do even better.

 

[AndyH]

The Solectria Sunrise ran 375 miles in 1996 with NiMh. The converted Solectria Force (Geo Metro) cars with NiMh hit 244 miles in the same race.

http://www.evdl.org/pages/sunrise_tds.html

The German drive was a nice publicity stunt, but not EV news, as all they're really saying is that they finally caught up with 1996. I hope they keep going - the range should be even better when they enter the 21st century. :lol:

 

[garygid]

But, $3000 for a 100 kWh battery at only 770 pounds?

If true, THAT would be news, right?

 

[EVDRIVER]

The Solectria Sunrise ran 375 miles in 1996 with NiMh. The converted Solectria Force (Geo Metro) cars with NiMh hit 244 miles in the same race.

http://www.evdl.org/pages/sunrise_tds.html

The German drive was a nice publicity stunt, but not EV news, as all they're really saying is that they finally caught up with 1996. I hope they keep going - the range should be even better when they enter the 21st century. :lol:

Yes, I was thinking of the Sunrise but forgot the name, with the pack from Germany it would have gone far. There is no miracle pack or EV, most variables run constant right now other than the way people write their press releases and construct their data.

 

[detlefo]

I, too, don't believe in miracles, but, if they can really deliver at a significantly lower cost and lower weight battery pack it would bode well for a future expanded range vehicle. I am a bit puzzled as to how the test vehicle managed to be destroyed. Worth keeping an eye on though.

 

[Desertstraw]

The Sunrise made its record setting trip using NiMH batteries. Reports on the internet say that SCE has gotten up to 150 miles in range in their fleet of Toyota RAV4 Electrics. EV1 lessees reported over 100 miles with NiMH. Yet even today no car manufacturer in the world is bringing out an electric car with NiMH batteries. I know the usual arguments about weight and the Chevron patent but it still makes no sense. What we know from experience is that the NiMH battery is long-lasting and trouble free. I now have 124k miles on my Prius which I bought over 10 years ago.

 

[AndyH]

Lithium is more efficient than NiMh directly, and indirectly as lithium doesn't need climate control to keep the cells alive. Lithium should also provide a longer service life than NiMh.