EV goes 375 miles @ 55MPG -- and charges in 6 minutes!

[NeilBlanchard]

DBM Energy looks like it may be completely legit, after all!

DBM Energy's record-breaking KOLIBRI battery passes government tests [w/VIDEO] — Autoblog Green

[NeilBlanchard]

More information (video of converted Audi A2) on the DBM Energy 'Kolibri' (Hummingbird) battery:

Record Range for New Electric Car Battery... 279 Miles! | Wall Street Daily

[NeilBlanchard]

This is a smaller 63kWh pack that was driven 279 miles than the earlier 99kWh pack, that drove 375 miles (and had 18% charge left!). Another very impressive glimpse of this battery:

Record Range for New Electric Car Battery... 279 Miles! | Wall Street Daily

It’s Official: DBM Energy’s Electric Car Battery Is Real

Quoting a translation of a PDF brochure:

Translation (via Google Language Tools) of this PDF brochure:

KOLIBRI Alpha K32 polymer technology for Audi A2
The Audi A2 K32 with the technology of the DBM is by the cell to drive
a coordinated technical high-performance system. Basis
forms developed by the DBM KOLIBRI Alpha polymer technology, a
Intelligent energy storage system based on lithium.

Technical data:

Vehicle------------------Audi A2 1.4 L
Year---------------------2004
Performance------------55 kW peak
Weight------------------1260 kg (empty)
Range-------------------650 km
Battery capacity--------260 Ah
Rated voltage-----------380 V
Energy content---------98.8 kWh
Weight------------------350 kg
Operating temperature -20 ° C to +80 ° C
Usable energy content 97%
Life cycle----------------2000 cycles
Life calendrical----------10 years

Facilities:

Power steering
Power windows
Electric mirrors
Parking assistance
Heated
Air conditioning
Electric Locks
Digital SOC - Display
Car Entertainment Multimedia
320s Sport steering wheel
4 Seats
Airbags
ABS
ESP

(slight reformatting by me for clarity)

[NeilBlanchard]

The things that are so intriguing about the Kolibri battery are that the 99kWh pack fit "basically where the fuel tank" was in the Audi A2 -- and that the car still had all four seats and still had a "boot". It drove 375 miles at night (so headlights, and possibly heat were used?) at an average of 55MPH, and at the end it had ~18% of the charge left. So, it has a huge capacity in a relatively tiny space.

At 97% DOD = ~95.8kWh - 18% = ~78.6kWh used, then in 375 miles = ~210Wh/mile.

This may be approximate, but it was supposed to weigh (only!) 350kg or ~772 pounds. This is an aptly named battery -- it weighs a lot less than the 56kWh pack I was planning on using in the CarBEN (about 900 pounds). So, that relatively tiny pack is also relatively light weight.

It is supposed to charge in a very short time. The number mentioned early on is 6 minutes. Probably, this is a single cell, or a small pack; because charging the packs in the two cars (99kWh and 63kWh) in 6 minutes would require an astronomical amount of current. But none the less, this is a very enticing attribute.

And lastly, it is supposed to be a very reasonable cost: I have heard about €1,400 or so? That is a truly staggeringly good value.

So, IF this is all true -- or even if only 2 of them are true, then this Kolibri (Hummingbird) battery is going to be a breakthrough.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

And lastly, it is supposed to be a very reasonable cost: I have heard about €1,400 or so? That is a truly staggeringly good value.

So, IF this is all true -- or even if only 2 of them are true, then this Kolibri (Hummingbird) battery is going to be a breakthrough.

When I can buy one let me know, my C-car could use one.

[DJBecker]

I would love for this to be true, but it still has the characteristics of a scam.

The top google news results for "DBM Energy" are spam comments in loosely related legitimate news stories.

Despite claiming independent tests, none of them are.

I recommend hedging your investment with some HHO and perpetual motion stocks.

[NeilBlanchard]

You might be right, but the German government and Dekra have both verified the performance of the Kolibri battery; according to the articles I linked to above.

[TheEnemy]

The car was destroyed in a fire, but since the claims about the capabilities of the car were resonable thats not a big deal.

Being able to charge in 6 minutes, there are already batteries on the market that can go from 15-85% charge in that time frame. So depending on what they consider charged that is also a resonable claim. Even though doing so with a pack that large is not practical.

So whats thats left is the actual energy density of the battery, and the cost. From what Neil has found so far the capacity of the pack may have been verified, leaving whether or not they can manufacture the pack for a decent price.

[DJBecker]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

You might be right, but the German government and Dekra have both verified the performance of the Kolibri battery; according to the articles I linked to above.

Those articles don't say that.

They say "According to a press release from DBM energy."
And WallStreetDaily.com is pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Wall Street Journal.

It could still be true. But it has the profile of a scam.

[user removed]

Well, all you need is a 1 megawatt charger to charge a 99 KW battery in 6 minutes.

regards
Mech