One of the biggest downfalls we hear critics talk about the EV is the amount of time it takes to recharge. Charge times of anything from 2 hours to 12+ hours on various models have been mentioned. That’s a long break at a filling station! So if I told you that it may be possible in the near future to fully charge your EV in about 10 minutes, would that quieten the critics?
Thanks to Altair Nanotechnologies, the design of a battery with high-surface-area nano-patterned electrodes and an unusually stable lithium chemistry, EV batteries can now be safely charged to full capacity in about 10 minutes - not recommended you try that with most lithium batteries (ka-boom?!)
BUT before we start breaking out the bubbly, there’s a small problem. Whilst the technology for the battery is a brilliant break-through, in order to be able to accomplish a “10-minute-fill” you’d need about 250 kilowatts of power— five times more than an average office building uses at its peak. So that means, unless you have an electrical substation in your back yard, you’re probably not going to be able to use this technology at home. Even rapid charge filling stations with an average of 4 filling points would require the power-equivalent an electrical substation to charge all 4 points at the same time, and I’d guess that we’d put a huge amount of pressure on the power grid if you had thousands of EV’s being rapid-charged all at once! So is that it for the rapid-charge theory? I’d say it’s just the beginning!
This is a brand-new technology. Obviously with further R&D I’m certain new developments will arise which allow for this concept to be more practical. Sven Thesen, supervisor of PG&E’s Clean Air Transportation group says PG&E is exploring the idea of installing battery storage facilities at its substations to facilitate rapid charging. The batteries would be charged overnight when the demand on the power grid is at its lowest, and the stored power can then be used for the rapid-charging process. It’s not just all talk either - PG&E plans to install an EV charging station capable of rapid charging at its Davis California facility utilising this concept in 2008.
Certainly a partnership between electrical companies and filling stations could see this become a reality, and open up a lot of new opportunities for the savvy entrepreneur…!
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December 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 pm
What about that idea where the filling stations quick swap your battery with another one that has been slowly charging for 10-12+ hours? This would require all EV manufacturers to comply with some sort of deal like PC computer manufacturers have to follow for all the expansion card slots, etc. I’m sure it can be done in the exact same way. What do you guys think?
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Oh, and don’t forget the payment scheme would work exactly like the way it does now with small propane gas tanks for grills, etc. You bring your empty one back and swap it for an already filled and tested one for a MUCH smaller fee than for a brand new one. Since the battery swapping would be done more frequently, the price would be much lower than for propane tanks.
December 4th, 2007 at 7:57 am
That’s a really great idea Joshua! If it were that easy, man it’d be awesome! There are 1 or 2 issues with that concept though…
1. A receptacle for gas is simply a bottle which is filled up under pressure. The bottle itself doesn’t change, and doesn’t affect how the gas is expended, or the quality of the gas etc (assuming the bottle itself is in fair condition.) Unfortunately, in the case of a battery pack, the age of the cell, manner in which it has been charged, and the conditions it has been exposed to all affect how the cell will perform. So today I may go to a filling station and get a brand new battery pack in exchange for mine (at a small fee) and get 300 miles out of it. Then the following week I swap it out and get an old, overrun, badly charged, already cycled more than 1000 times, first generation battery pack that Farmer Brown used on his tractor in 95 degree days as standard! Now I get 30 miles if I’m lucky ’cause the pack is long past expiry! Certainly if the filling stations became the sole provider of battery recharging / swapping, it may be regulated better, controlled by barcoding each battery pack and keeping a central database of each pack’s history etc, but even then there’s no real guarantees, since enviromental factors are still somewhat out of their control. Besides, how long do you think it’ll take for Mcguyver to build an adaptor to be able to charge their battery at home, off the record, so to speak - and even perhaps sell it?
2. Battery packs are the heaviest part of an EV, NOT the motor! It would probably be the equivalent of exchanging your engine out for a new one each time you “fill up!” And depending on the design of the vehicle, it may not be so easy to get to the batteries!
But wouldn’t it be great if it were that easy? Maybe one day technology will allow for it. Certainly what holds true over and over for humankind is that demand creates the solution…
December 10th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
my reply/comment box is only 1cm wide i’ve tried everything to expand the box- any way Josh can you email me at - “4paladin@nbnet.nb.ca” i’d like to speak eith you
GERRY
December 11th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
The energy to charge the batteries is overstated. A larger typical surburban home has 200 Amp 220 volt service. That equates to 44000 or 44 KW. To charge a 40 KWHr battery pack it would take 2 hours using half the available power from an average new home. To get 8 times as much power for a 15 min charge is not unresonable. Remember they would only be charge when on a trip as you would change them at home unless on the road. Then the fast food place could put in a parking meter type and you would charge up while eating. A half hour charge time would not be bad in that case.
January 26th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Hey you guys have to see the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car” (Blockbuster has it)
In the 90s GM produced a great electric car and California had electric charging stations all over. GM leased them then took them back and destroyed them all.
Didn’t seem like a big deal to charge the car at them or at home.
The film mentions that over 90% of trips people take are less than 29 miles, or put another way, only 90 to 95% of people can use an EV. The film also has the inventer of the NiCad battery, which GM failed to use in its production EV car. (Used el cheapo Delcos, gave probs but still worked ok)Batteries are better now, built for deep discharge. If you do say a 60 mile roundtrip commute on a car that’ll go 125 miles on a charge, then just charge them at home no problem. Using the local power company is ‘way more efficient than burning your own gas.
Mike
February 28th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
We advise a 3-phase outlet be installed on every new home garage interior/exterior wall that we design.This is all that is needed for a fast or slow charge charge.One can only imagine the impact of a $315,000,000,000.00 tax(ten year span) give away to the oil companies would do for an alternative energy policy.Even the democratic candidates are talking about very low amounts for the alternative energy policies.We need a Manhatten Project like energy policy,not the same old search and destroy policy by the Pentagon.
March 31st, 2008 at 3:01 pm
ZAP and all can think forward now !
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:18 am
battery swapping isn’t really feasible if you think about the throughput of your average gas station
what could be possible is a battery to battery charge: hundreds of batteries could be stored underground where the petrol used to be stored and they are constantly charged with a cycle time of and hour or something
then the battery to battery charge won’t draw off the grid
i don’t know if its possible but sounds like a plan
July 12th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Israel is planning to be free from foreign oil and has unveiled “Project Better Place” where they will utilize this technology in charging stations around their country. Their politicians are serious about their security and independence from their sworn enemies. Our country and politicians should take note and follow suit!