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Environment & Energy

longship

(40,416 posts)

1. Go IBM! (more)

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Fri Apr 20, 2012, 09:06 AM

Apr 2012

AFAIK the limits to battery technology are threefold, the storage capacity, the ability to move charge efficiently, and recharge cycles. Advantages in capacity are not worthwhile if the battery degrades before its capacity can be utilized. Anode and cathode design determine efficiency in delivering power. Recharging without degradation of the other things is the primary problem these days.

I may have this wrong, as I don't subscribe to the latest, but that is the way I read what the science press has been writing about advances.

A further problem is that a 500 mile battery is no good if it doubles the price of the car. Only economics of scale is likely to cure that.

Still hopeful about this. But it really looks like advances in battery tech are incremental, not revolutionary.

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Highlight:

Big 'Green'? IBM works on 500 miles-per-charge battery [View all] IDemo Apr 2012 OP

Go IBM! (more) longship Apr 2012 #1

Electric cars are BS KurtNYC Apr 2012 #2

ROFLMAO kristopher Apr 2012 #3

Unlimited amounts of lithium charged with 33% efficient coal fired grid power, KurtNYC Apr 2012 #16

I've never seen any serious proposals to move 18-wheelers with batteries NickB79 Apr 2012 #32

Only if you're using the Republican dictionary to define "efficient" and "green". DCKit Apr 2012 #4

Republican dictionary ? You're the one blindly and poorly defending an IBM press release. KurtNYC Apr 2012 #17

$0.04/mile running costs not low enough? Not efficient? Not green? DCKit Apr 2012 #20

Generally where electric rates are higher then so are gas prices txlibdem Apr 2012 #26

PS, in Albany, New York gas is over $4 a gallon. txlibdem Apr 2012 #27

Preaching to the choir. I just can't afford the premium for an electric. DCKit Apr 2012 #29

The Leaf goes 100 miles txlibdem Apr 2012 #30

less efficient? caraher Apr 2012 #6

Let's start with charging the batteries KurtNYC Apr 2012 #15

The difference in efficiencies between the electric motor (90%) and ICE (25-30%) is what counts IDemo Apr 2012 #18

How much of electricity do you think is coal generated? dmallind Apr 2012 #21

Electric engines are about 90% efficient. Combustion barely breaks 30%. joshcryer Apr 2012 #25

Unh Hunh And Internal-Combustion Is So Environmentally-Friendly Vogon_Glory Apr 2012 #8

i/c engines usrname Apr 2012 #9

It's about decoupling the energy generation from the energy storage jeff47 Apr 2012 #10

My electric car costs less than $30/month to run. tinrobot Apr 2012 #22

Looks like the IBM PR department is earning their salaries. n/t PoliticAverse Apr 2012 #5

Great. Hope it doesn't take 10 years for it to happen n2doc Apr 2012 #7

Their forcast is for 2020-2030. jeff47 Apr 2012 #11

No they aren't. n2doc Apr 2012 #12

The Leaf is a 4-door family car. You can't pretend it's "comparable" to tiny 2-door. jeff47 Apr 2012 #13

You may think so n2doc Apr 2012 #14

They won't, because of how they're marketed jeff47 Apr 2012 #19

Compare cost of ownership, not purchase price. tinrobot Apr 2012 #23

And there you go for those of us living in the real world. DCKit Apr 2012 #24

Oh, and insurance is less for the Leaf tinrobot Apr 2012 #33

+1 txlibdem Apr 2012 #31

As an aside... Dead_Parrot Apr 2012 #28