Re: solar assisted Toyota Prius- 8mpg more


Tom Simonds wrote:
> > Well, what if you could roll into a nearby "Electric Filling Station"
> > and recharge there quickly, if you needed it? We've all heard about
> > that fast-charging Li-ion battery that Toshiba announced some months
> > ago:
>
> If you ask me, these various battery schemes, including solar battery, have more
> and better prospects for competing with gas cars than the much ballyhooed fuel
> cell vehicle. Here's why: Fuel cells are at least ten years away from widespread
> use. Likely more. Batteries are undergoing the most rapid development of any
> technology in history, driven by the need for a power source for today's portable
> electronic devices like laptops. Tons of money is going into their development.
>
They're improving but not fast enough. I don't think the capacity of
batteries is doubling every two years like that of microprocessors.
Batteries are having trouble keeping up with the devices they need to
supply.

> Ten years from now, when and if fuel cells are ready for mass production,
> batteries will be even better that today, perhaps by an order of magnitude. Fuel
> cells need hydrogen, or some other fuel. Batteries will be able to use
> electricity, which can be produced from clean renewable sources like wind, solar,
> nuclear, etc. But the fuel cell can never use electricity from the grid. Splitting
> water is inefficient and hence costly.
>
> Were I a vulture capitalist, I would ignore all the fuel cell hype and invest in
> battery cars and their related technologies.

I would agree here. Not becuae batteries are improving as fast as you
say, but because their almost there. Indeed, Lithium ion batteries are
already good enough to plug-in hybrids with a range of 100km - just not
yet at the right price. But reducing price 3 fold requires no
breakthrough. Increasing capacity three fold would require such a
breakthrough.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Fuel Cells: Perfect Mobile Energy?
    ... Fuel Cells: Perfect Mobile Energy? ... Lithium ion batteries' time is almost up. ... there were standard dry-cell batteries. ...
    (misc.invest.stocks)
  • Re: Atheists: Americas most distrusted minority
    ... Fuel cells ain't cheap, and with the present technologies, never will be. ... one for a vehicle application. ... the fuel cells used by NASA in the 70's cost ... The truth is, batteries have a lot better energy storage density than even LH2, and is a whole lot cheaper. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated)
  • Re: Anyone Here Driving a Hybrid yet?
    ... Better, lighter, stronger, cheaper batteries will not help society? ... There's no need for cars as a technology driver. ... I'm afraid I'm not up to date on using E100 in fuel cells. ... 36% would be twice the efficiency of a typical internal combustion ...
    (rec.crafts.metalworking)
  • Re: LK GEO --- MKTY
    ... Mobile phone fuel cells coming in 2007A fuel cell technology that will ... batteries looks as if its going to be available for millions of people ... methanol with air and water to produce electrical power, ...
    (misc.invest.stocks)
  • Re: Anyone Here Driving a Hybrid yet?
    ... There's no need for cars as a technology driver. ... adequately and with more than a century of research behind them batteries ... I'm afraid I'm not up to date on using E100 in fuel cells. ... 36% would be twice the efficiency of a typical internal combustion ...
    (rec.crafts.metalworking)