The advantages of using alternative energies


Electric car progress

Tantalizingly close, but not quite ready forgas-electric hybrids like the Prius, not
prime time. That's the conclusion of theFPBEVs or plug-in hybrids [PHEV], which would
latest Independent Expert Panel report to thetravel further on electric power, requiring
California Air Resources Board (CARB) on themore energy storage. For PHEVs you need a
"Status and Prospects for Zero Emissionclass of NiMH battery that offers both power
Vehicle  Technology."and energy density. The panel reported that
while such a battery would cost, in volume,
For the last decade, California has relied onbetween $800-$1200 and give the owner an
experts to advise it on the progress ofelectric only range of 10-20 miles, their
electric car technology in all itsresearch turned up no efforts among
manifestations, from battery-only EVs calledmanufacturers to develop such a battery, even
"Full Performance Battery Electric Vehicles"though the added cost would more than pay for
or FPBEVs in the report to hydrogen-fueleditself in terms of fuels savings over the
vehicles, including those that burn itlife  of  the  vehicle.
directly in an internal combustion engine
(H2ICVs) and those that rely on fuel cellsThe third class of NiMH battery, the one that
(FCEVs).has been used for years with surprising
durable in vehicles like the Toyota RAV4 EV,
And with each report there has been progress;is the high energy version. Here the
certainly not a pace that regulators andexecutive  summary  states...
environmentalists would wish to see, but
progress, nonetheless. And the 2007 reportIt is the conclusion of the Panel, however,
doesn't break that pattern. It sees slow, butthat energy density is fundamentally limited
steady progress in battery and fuel celland marginal for FPBEV applications, and
development, but hurdles remain, bothcosts remain as high as or higher than in
technologically  and  economically.2000 and are unlikely to decline. High energy
NiMH technology for possible FPBEV
That assessment is already being challengedapplications has not advanced in recent
by electric car advocates who see itsyears.
conclusions still unduly supportive of
hydrogen fuel cell technology, but havingElectric car advocates, many of whom have
reviewed the 13-page executive summary, thatpractical, day-to-day experience with this
appraisal seems unwarranted. In summarizingtype of battery, argue that we don't have to
the findings of the panel, which included notwait on advances in fuel cells, hydrogen
only evaluations of three key "candidate"storage or lithium ion chemistry. The
technologies: energy storage, hydrogenPanasonic batteries in their RAV4 EVs clearly
storage and fuel cells but also interviewsdemonstrate that we can make use of this
with and questionnaires to battery andbattery today, but because, some allege, the
automobile manufacturers, they concludedpatents are held by the unit of a major oil
that...company, it is being deliberately kept off
the market. A more likely explanation is that
... at this time no fuel cell developer hasthe demand for nickel for use in
achieved the necessary requirements forhigh-strength steel in China and elsewhere is
automotive  fuel  cell  commercialization.putting the squeeze on nickel prices and not
oil  company  greed.
Further, on the question of hydrogen storage,
they  observe.The panel report is much more encouraged by
the progress in lithium chemistry
Storing sufficient hydrogen on a vehicle todevelopment, stating in the summary, "Li ion
power it for adequate distance, safely, andbatteries are making impressive technical
at reasonable cost, without an excessiveprogress worldwide especially with regard to
weight penalty has been and remains a seriouscalendar life and cycle life and safety, the
challenge for the automobile industry and itsareas of special concern for automotive
suppliers.applications. Promising new materials and
chemistries are expanding the capabilities
...Unlike other major technologies beingand  prospects  of  all Li ion technologies."
pursued in support of ZEVs, hydrogen storage
technologies have advanced relatively littleHigh power lithium ion batteries are "close
in  recent  years.to commercialization" for hybrid vehicle
applications,  the  panel  reports.
So, be it battery energy density or hydrogen
storage capacity and the resultant impactImportantly, for HEV applications Li Ion
each has on vehicle performance and range, inbatteries have potentially lower cost than
particular, ZEV's continue to be perceived,NiMH because they promise to deliver the
at least by manufacturers and CARB's expertrequired power with smaller capacities and
panel as having limited immediate utility andlower  specific  cost.
therefore commercial prospects when compared
to  fossil  fuel  alternatives.According to EV World sources, the next
generation of Prius, due out probably now in
But all the news isn't bad. When discussing2009, will use lithium ion instead of NiMH,
nickel metal hydride high power batteriespacking more punch into a lighter, smaller
used in today's gasoline-electric hybrids,package than is possible with its current
the panel sees this technology as beingbattery.
"mature" and that they see the cost coming
down steadily as unit volume increases.But the report is less confident of Li ion
Today, auto makers like Ford and Toyota andtechnology being developed for PHEV
Honda pay between $2000 and $4000 for theirapplications, seeing the projected cost of
NiMH battery packs, but CARB's panel -- on$3500-4000 in mass production being above the
consultation with manufacturers -- see thatcost of fuel savings (assuming, presumably,
dropping to between $1300 and $2500 inthe absence of carbon taxes or peak oil,
volumes  of  a  million  units  or  more.either of which could drive the price of
gasoline, along with everything else, much
But high power NiMH batteries are engineeredhigher).
specifically for the needs of today's



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