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Hybrid Vehicles Electric Vehicles Electric Vehicle Pros & Cons
1586 messages, Last post on Oct 23, 2009 at 4:19 PM
You are in the Electric Vehicles Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
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Developed by scientists at Firefly Energy, carbon foam is a material that's revolutionizing the battery industry. Compared to lead plates - one of the main components of most conventional truck batteries - carbon foam delivers longer service life, increased energy efficiency and better performance under extreme conditions. That's why we used it to create our revolutionary Oasis Group 31 battery. Oasis' carbon foam design resists sulfation and corrosion (two of the primary causes of failure in lead-acid batteries), while dramatically increasing the surface area within the battery, resulting in greater energy capacity, faster recharges, and deeper discharge capability... http://www.fireflyenergy.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=273&Itemi- d=100
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 11, 2007 8:27 am) The Firefly product is the battery tech I have been most anxiously awaiting. These batteries will give performance roughly on-par with much more expensive NIMH technology, and should be easy drop-in replacements for existing lead-acid applications. That means lots of EV hobbyists will be able to instantly improve their rides. It should be a shot in the arm to existing EV converters, as well, who will be able to offer a much better product to the general public - inexpensive EV conversions with 100-200 mile driving ranges.
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Replying to: apeweek (Nov 11, 2007 9:57 am) They are much better for the environment: Firefly Energy’s patented carbon-graphite foam plate technology presents a number of environmental advantages. First, we replace the heavy, corrosion-prone lead grids, which comprise up to 70% of a typical lead acid battery’s weight, with a non-toxic material. Therefore, there’s less lead to recycle at the end of life. Secondly, this lightweight foam is porous, and it provides more surface area for the energy-generating chemistry to occur. This means that less lead chemistry is needed than in a typical lead acid battery, leading to less lead recycled at end of life. Thirdly, because the positive lead metal grids corrode and the negative metal grids sulfate, life is shortened in a typical lead acid battery. The Firefly foam is much more resilient against these two common failure modes. Longer life means a lower volume of batteries recycled. Finally, the technology developed by Firefly Energy reduces both human exposure risk and hazardous waste generation. Batteries containing Firefly’s technology can be recycled through the existing lead acid recycling infrastructure. Other “advanced technology” battery alternatives, such as nickel metal hydride and lithium ion, do not have any recycling infrastructure. In fact, the battery’s owner must actually pay the recycler to take the battery! Carbon is already used to increase the temperature for the smelting of lead. Firefly’s carbon-graphite foam plate material is simply burned away – and actually is a net fuel for increasing smelting temperatures - and the remaining lead in the battery is recycled.
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 11, 2007 1:09 pm) No, it means the cost of one of the raw materials used is 50% higher for the manufacturer. There is a lot more to the cost of making a battery (and most things) than just the cost of raw materials and there are also things other than manufacturing costs that are involved in determining the market price for a product.
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Replying to: jeffyscott (Nov 11, 2007 1:33 pm) Whittingham notes that although the titanium sulfide battery was technologically sound, it wasn't a commercial success. Success with lithium-ion batteries came some 15 years later when Sony introduced a battery that incorporated a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cathode and a lithium-intercalated carbon (LiC6) anode. The cobalt-based battery was a hit with portable electronics applications because of its ability to store a lot of energy in a small, lightweight package. PS I think with all the downsides to Li-Ion we should be looking at other technologies. I think Caterpillar has hit on just such a possibility.
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 11, 2007 1:47 pm) The most common EV lithium battery is LiFePO4, without cobalt. This type of battery is also safer and longer lived than the LiCoO2 cell (it doesn't explode, either.) Materials costs are rising because of the falling dollar. Any materials that can be locally mined will have an advantage. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 11, 2007 8:27 am)
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Replying to: reddroverr (Nov 12, 2007 6:23 pm)
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The Xebra becomes the first four-door electric car to be approved for street use in the UK. Check the Alternate Route's take on being Street Legal |
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 12, 2007 6:25 pm) Enerdel's battery technology is similar to Altairnano's, no Cobalt or risk of thermal runaway. They also claim that the price of these battery packs will be low enough to allow for drivers to recoup the initial price premium of an EV within 2 years. We'll see but it sounds pretty good.
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