Loosewire,has run to the top of the Washington Montument and back down.
Another Loosewire truth. I wonder about VooDoo's clearance.

 

I like electric cars.

But I wouldn't buy one - I'd build one.

I know someone who has built one with lithium batteries for around $6,000 in an old Pontiac. That did around 100 miles which is pretty respectable.

Probably take a non-runner or poorly running old compact and strip it out. I'd initially use lead acid batteries because of the lower cost. A custom designed inverter using plasma TV IGBTs would be a good 4th year university project.

If powered by renewable sources then in theory emissions are zero.

However that does not include production emissions. Lithium batteries aren't nearly as bad as nickel or lead based batteries. However, lithium is mostly found in China. So we'd be moving our dependency from Middle Eastern oil to Chinese batteries. Neither are politically stable. I wish zinc-air batteries were more practical but research on them seems to have stalled. As zinc is very common in the Earth's crust.

I *don't* like how many commentators on batteries "hope" mass production will lower the costs. I don't think it will.

I like electric cars too. I get wet with nerd lust when I think of building one. I used to be on the electric car bandwagon until I learned how bad it is for the environment to produce the batteries, and how the batteries come exclusively from china. I think that switching America's or Europe's infrastructure from gasoline to electric is huge folly. That doesn't mean I don't have plans on building my own electric car.
And I also agree, mass production of batteries won't lower the cost. the process is already well established; I don't think there is any way to make it more efficient - that sector is already as lean as it is going to get, and we are talking about a FINITE resource that is not found in great abundance. lithium has skyrocketed in the past few years and shows no signs of plateauing.

 

Thing is, lead acid batteries can be recycled - the lead can be reclaimed - and the batteries can be rebuilt.

Current lithium polymer or lithium ion batteries are extremely reactive if disassembled so it's not so viable to recover the lithium from them without neutralising them. And this introduces more chemical reactions.

Another thing to consider is the neodymium magnets used in three phase motors are exclusive to China too due to the government artificially holding the price low. A great boon to the RC enthusiast like me... but it won't last.

There are ideas about a battery where the electrode could be replaced for fast charging much like fuelling a car - but I don't know what happened to those. Or battery exchanges.

 

Used to work for Delphi/Gm and they did testing on the batteries way before Volt was released. The battery is made by LG an Korean company. Soon to be made in Michigan. http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/201...nt-that-will-now-supply-both-gm-and-ford-evs/

The old Baker Electric cars use "Edison" batteries. Instead of charging you replaced the electrolyte, though they can be recharged. Same thing was used for telegraph lines. They were a nickle/iron battery.