Battery Technology

[mnwcsult]

As I have planned the conversion of my gasoline VW to all electric. I find myself still confound by basic lack of battery knowledge. I have looked at lead acid (marine), NiCd, Lithium and price wise I am stuck with lead acid.

Any apparent break throughs on affordable battery technology? All feel free to chime in.

Thank you.

[Daox]

Nope, those are really your choices. There are different types of batteries used overseas apparently, however getting them here is not going to be an easy task.

There is a reason EVs aren't incredibly popular. Its all about the all mighty $.

[Big Dave]

Poor battery performance has always been what killed the electric car.

People have been trying to develop a workable battery for over a century. You see how much luck they've had.

Practical electrified surface transportation means electrifeid freight railroads and maybe electrified truck lanes on the superslab. Big trucks are approaching the power where they have to go to electric drive. About 1200 HP is about the limit for mechanical transmissions.

Once you electrify the transmission, it is ashort hop to a truck that runs of diesel locally and a catenary for long distances.

[paker]

The new batch of Thundersky Lithium Yttrium LiFeYPO4 cells are "supposed" to be good for 5000 recharges. This is according to the manufacturer. If that is true it would make an electric car a lot more affordable.

[NiHaoMike]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Practical electrified surface transportation means electrifeid freight railroads and maybe electrified truck lanes on the superslab. Big trucks are approaching the power where they have to go to electric drive. About 1200 HP is about the limit for mechanical transmissions.

Make wired hybrids that make use of batteries for acceleration so the connections would not have to handle as much power.

Or use superconductors to extract power from existing radio stations to supplement another power source. Just needs more research and development to work. Nikola Tesla Page, Tesla's power receiver

[jjackstone]

Battery primers.
Welcome to Battery University

Frequently Asked Questions about Rechargeable Batteries

Have to consider life of battery in the cost calculations. Of course PbSO4 is less expensive up front. Most lead acids only have a life of 300-700 full recharges. Lithium can have 1000- 3000 recharges. But lithium cells need a BMS and more a specialized charging unit which can drive the cost even higher.
JJ

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by paker

The new batch of Thundersky Lithium Yttrium LiFeYPO4 cells are "supposed" to be good for 5000 recharges. This is according to the manufacturer. If that is true it would make an electric car a lot more affordable.

I was looking at those for my electric car, to replace my $900 Lead Acid battery pack with Lithium it would cost around $2,500 if I remember right, about the same as Foxx power charges for their batteries, the charger on the other hand is going to be a costly investment that you need to add to that price as well.

[Daox]

Originally Posted by paker

The new batch of Thundersky Lithium Yttrium LiFeYPO4 cells are "supposed" to be good for 5000 recharges. This is according to the manufacturer. If that is true it would make an electric car a lot more affordable.

What DOD is this cycle rating tested at?

[The Atomic Ass]

Originally Posted by daox

what dod is this cycle rating tested at?

iirc, 70% dod.

[bensenvill]

for any amount of reasonable cost, lead acid really is the only option... for someone who's build a number of EVs, I can say the technical hurdles are probably not worth it unless you have an engineering degree and are a master of fabrication (not to mention access to some rather expensive fab equipment), and WAYYY too much free time.... if you have to outsource any work, its probably not worth your investment. Not to mention the number of miles you would have to cover to get any form of a ROI.

But you asked specifically about batteries. like I said, lead acid really is the only home brew choice thats anywhere near financially viable, and it really doesn't matter what you use but you want to evaluate the amp-hours vs the weight (and factor in cost) to make your decision.

And on the topic of weight, your going to be adding alot of it if you want more than a few miles of range... dont overlook what you'll need to beef up suspension and structurally to handle it.

And keep in mind what car you are integrating into. Simple rule is if the car is carbonated, your are going to have an infinitely easier time with the retro-fit. After that the cars start getting infinitely more complex. 2000 was about when cars got overly bloated with wires and manufactures started simplifying with bus protocols.... at that point you really need a masters in computer engineering and insider knowledge to get the levels of integration you want. I spent about 2000 hours trying to take complete ownership of the wiring in my newish car, and its time I wish I could get back.