Showing posts with label battery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label battery. Show all posts

18 Mar 2023

Electric cars and batteries - NOT amateur radio

We are still awaiting a breakthrough in batteries for electric cars. Lithium, used in most (all?) electric vehicle batteries is a rare earth material in short supply. These batteries are expensive and big. There is also the issue of charging.

A breakthrough may be on the way promising much better ranges, less cost, and fast charging times. Until this happens, I cannot see a tipping point when there is a really big take-up of electric cars.  Imagine - far less expensive electric cars, very infrequent charging, long ranges. It will happen.

See https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/electric/solid-state-battery-ev/ .

12 Aug 2022

Electric car batteries - NOT amateur radio

Steve G1KQH sent me this cartoon yesterday. 

There is a very serious point though. Until EV batteries are made from far more common materials and have a far greater range, I cannot see EVs being a disruptive technology like flat screen TVs or digital cameras. 

This will come with investment and drive. At the current rate, the Chinese will be the first and we will be way behind.  We need this if our children and grandchildren are to have a planet.

In my view, I suspect this will come before 2035 and we will all be amazed that we used fossil fuels at one time. 

4 May 2018

Battery power suggestions

Thank you for your suggestions This sounds like something I should try. Now  I need recommendations for battery packs and chargers! I expect eBay will be the best source at the right place.

12 Jun 2017

Wireless charging from roads - NOT amateur radio

To me, this has to be the answer to a carbonless future with regard to road vehicles. Southgate News reports on trials in France and Israel where the road has embedded wireless charging for road vehicles. This means smaller, lighter, batteries in the vehicles, a longer battery life, and greater range.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/june/roads-with-built-in-wireless-charging.htm#.WT5ai7pFzmQ

22 Apr 2013

Huge leap in rechargeable battery technology?

The ExtremeTech website has reported a possible major major (i.e. game changing) breakthrough in Li-Ion battery technology with the headlines:  New lithium-ion battery design that’s 2,000 times more powerful, recharges 1,000 times faster
http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ncomms2747-f3.jpg
If this turns out to be technology that can indeed be commercialised, then just imagine the possibilities: (1) electric cars with far lighter batteries, or electric car batteries with much greater range, (2) mobile phones with tiny batteries that can be charged in a minute or so, (3) portable HF transceivers that are half the weight of the FT817 but with batteries that last for days between charges.

It all sounds just a bit too good to be true, but I am sure this was no April Fool's joke.