Who Killed the Electric Car? (NiMH batteries)

Forget NiMH batteries. Lithium Ion is the real future. And leave it to Silicon Valley Engineers to figure out what Detroit or Japan never could.

Maybe, but unlike lead-acid batteries, NiMH cells are relatively nontoxic. I don't know if LiON rechargeables can be made nontoxic, but I do know that lithium non-rechargeables have more environmental impact than standard alkaline batteries.

The Tesla roadster looks great, but I have never had any interest whatsoever in 2-seat "sports" vehicles. I'm a truck man.

Aha! Tesla is in San Carlos, California. Looks like the Roadser would make former EV1 drivers happy. If made with NiMH batteries, how much less than $93,000 would it cost?

Not sure either, but according to their fact sheet, Lithium Ion batteries are reated non-toxic and approved for landfills.

Who knows. I'm sure they picked a roadster to show off what kind of performance they could get and to appeal to people who want and can afford having a unique automobile. But if the technology catches on, production costs go down, maybe a truck will be next.

Don't know, but I doubt that would even be an option. They would never get the performance they want from NiMH batteries

I could maybe edit my Work Stuff down to fit in a Sienna Hybrid, but I'd be happier with a Tundra Hybrid. And any factory "hybrid stuff" mounted to the chassis in the bed area needs to be down below the top of the chassis rails so a Stakebed or Utility Bed can be fitted - even if I have to have the bed custom made to clear any stuff hung outside the framerails, make it possible.

And the Work Version of the hybrid truck needs a real fancy power module with some new features not yet seen - about 30KW to 60KW of

120/240 1Ph, 120/208 3Ph or 277/480V 3Ph, or Stick/TIG/MIG/Plasma Cutting welding output, depending on what's needed at the moment.

(Get an equipment house like Miller Electric to help with the design specs. And they can build the MIG wire-feeder, Plasma Cutting and TIG Torch kits that the Work Hybrid owners will need to use them.)

Build this, and considering the Big Storm that just came through I guarantee you could sell tens of thousands in the Pacific Northwest - Yesterday. Even if you only use it as a generator or welder a few times a year, when you need it would be a godsend. And everywhere else people live where the utilities can't be counted on 24/7/365, but they have Life Safety needs for the power - Snow Country, Tornado and Hurricane areas, Earthquake Country...

Industry would save big - even considering the added expense of a sedan or truck with the hybrid powertrain. After buying the truck they don't need to buy a separate generator set or engine-driven welder and haul that big hunk of Cast Iron around. Let one engine do all the work, avoid duplication - and Git 'Er Done!

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This may already be doable, depending on how flexible Toyota's hybrid electronic control module is. This (in the Prius at least but likely also in derivative vehicles such as 4WD R330) converts battery power to the AC needed to turn the electric motor, which IIRC develops 60+KW. The control module has to generate a range of frequencies, to keep step with the motor as it speeds/slows. Sounds as if there could be mode where the vehicle is stationary while the onboard petrol engine drives the onboard generator and the control module outputs power via a socket to run tools at a choice of frequencies (50/60Hz) and/or voltages (117/220/230/&c). One problem might be the waveform, which could be too square; but maybe the right set of tools could be used.

Just a bit of blue-sky speculation, you understand.

Of course it's entirely logical, possible and practical to do it, that's precisely why I brought it up. ;-) You just have to get Toyota to either do it in-house, or allow it to be done by others without screaming to invalidate the warranty.

Witness all the hand-wringing over people who wanted to make a plug-in charger for their Prius, modify the power mapping to allow for longer runs in "Stealth Mode" when approaching a stop with a charging point, and reduce the gasoline usage...

Best part is there are still public electric car charging stations (both inductive paddle and conductive plug-in) all over California, sitting idle because there aren't any cars on the road to use them. Because GM decided to recall all the EV1's from lease and crush them, rather than sell them to the lessees and make replacement parts available for a few years. Great way to generate goodwill, guys...

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Not just GM -- Toyota, Honda, Ford, and maybe other manufacturers also terminated their EV leases and crushed the vehicles. The movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" is quite good, I recommend it, although it's somewhat short on technology information.

Great idea about emergency backup power on the Toyota Tundra, Bruce!

Thanks, that is news to me.

They could probably get similar performance in California weather, although the NiMH battery pack would be larger. Note how the Prius aftermarket plug-in requires extra batteries in the luggage compartment. The NiMH/LiOn weight difference would be significant, but probabaly not a major factor considering the weight of frame, wheels, tires, etc. However Lithium Ion batteries will perform better in cold weather, so LiOn will be a big advantage in the midwest and northeast US.

Perhaps they went with Lithium Ion to avoid paying NiMH royalties to Cobasys, a mostly-owned subsidiary (once removed) of Chevron Oil. Panasonic, Mitsubishi, and Toyota settled out of international court in 2004, paying $10 million (to ECD/Ovonic) plus $20 million (one time?) licensing fees to Cobasys.

He's partially right. From many places, this one hybridcars.com,

This will greatly depend on what materials are combined with lithium, and how toxic those materials are. Using cobalt, for example, in lithium ion batteries would be problematic. It will also depend on the emerging recycling technologies.

It's not non-toxic. It's just not as bad as nickel and certainly not as bad as lead.