New battery technology and plug-in power will bring 120-mpg capability to Priuses
Scientists at EDrive Systems, based in Los Angeles, are developing a new battery system that replaces a Priuses installed battery with a lithium ion battery that can be charged at home using a standard domestic power socket. The converted system should be able to get Priuses to over 120 mpg (if I've done my math right. The original article is from South Africa, I think, and says the new system can get about 100 km per less than two liters, which is 62 mile for about half a gallon, right?) for about $12,000.
Greg Hanssen, partner and chief engineer of EDrive Systems, said his company has an interest list of thousands of customers and that customers in Southern California will be served first once the technology is fully tested.
[Source: Motoring.co.za via EV World]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
S.M.Mehdi Hassan 3:39AM (7/23/2006)
Well, what you know? Toyota moved one step ahead in fuel efficiency. "a new battery system that replaces a Priuses installed battery with a lithium ion battery that can be charged at home using a standard domestic power socket." This is really great.
Reply
wouter 4:01AM (7/24/2006)
If you really want to to be surprised by Hybrid improvements check out the hybrid Mini:
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=14903&ref=archive
640bhp, 1000km range, etc.
Reply
Jim Stack 6:30PM (7/24/2006)
New lithium batteries are makign hybrids double their mpg and make all electrics go 200-300 miles on a charge. If GM would be tought enought to bring back teh EV1 it could compete with the new Tesla EV.
GM could also make their hybrids full hybrids like the Prius but won't. It's too bad becuase Toyota is running away with the sales even before gas goes to $4 later this year and $7 next year.
Too bad for GM. They need diversity of products not more cup holders and TV screens.
Reply
Blake Baird 7:43PM (7/24/2006)
How anyone can argue about the long-term savings for the world or pollution control simply amazes me.
Simply put, the actual power must come from power plants, which burn coal, oil and natural gas. Look for huge spikes in their prices.
Second, note the blackouts in St. Louis this week (7.24.06) from lack of electricity, then watch what happens when cars plug into the grid. Figure how long it takes to build a power plant with its environmental and political baggage: maybe 10+ years?
Third, keep in mind the basic physics equation that one form of energy (gasoline) must produce the same BTU output as another (hydrogen) to replace it: The amount of energy needed to produce the hydrogen for "car power" will always be exactly equal to the energy it releases when the auto is driven, plus any cost difference between the actual production of the two sources of "car power." This last fact is often overlooked, it seems.
So, nuclear plants may circumvent some of the electric production problems, but then few people will allow them. Someone kindly please show me the error of my ways.
Bye, bye, hybrids. I'll miss you, for sure.
Blake D. Baird.
Reply
reid 6:32PM (10/24/2008)
You know its funny you say that the blackouts in St. Louis is because of lack of electricity. If you did your research you would have seen that their is an abundance of electricity right now and experts say that if everyone in the U.S. were to get an electric car right now and start plugging it in to the grid they MIGHT have to think about putting in 1 more power plant, then again i really dont think everyone in the U.S. is going to run out to get an electric car right away and if they did well then maybe their will have to be another power plant added.
Gary Maples 11:33AM (7/25/2006)
The blackouts in St. Louis was from power lines being knocked down, NOT a shortage of electricity as Mr. Blake reported.
Yes we need more clean but risky nuclear power for electric vehicles, but that would also be money not be sent to the middle east. At least our fuel dollars would be staying in this country.
Reply
Jamette 8:38AM (7/27/2006)
I really like the car. Can you imagin your electric
bill every month?
Reply
Rick 11:12AM (3/03/2007)
The replies to these kinds of articles always make me laugh. Blake D. Baird would have us all walking everywhere because no matter what we do we are going to destroy the environment. And, as is typical of the extremists out there, points to a problem of the electrical system that had absolutely nothing to do with what he is talking about. "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" Folks, if we have a vehicle that can get 1 MPG better on average than what we are getting now, isn't that something to celebrate? So when something gets twice the mileage shouldn't we throw a party? People like Blake love to point out the faults in a great solution, but it is companies like EDrive Systems that will change the way that we commute in the future. Let's change the world one step at a time. First let's build great cars that run partially on electricity, then lets build cars that run totally on electricity. Then lets come up with some creative ways to recharge these things using natural and renewable energy sources. I would love to have a garage that was covered with solar panels, or see a subdivision where every garage had a set of wind turbines. I can envision a day very soon when car dealers are going to be including some sort of natural charging unit to go with it.
Cheers!
~Rick, Mammoth Cave, KY
Reply
blake Baird 5:45PM (5/05/2009)
Rick, my boy, you are absolutely incorrect in your assessment of my position: I ride motorcycles, use lots of electricity, shoot guns and fireworks, and generally pollute like anyone. And, I'm a KY boy like you.
My concern is there may not be enough electricity for the plug-in cars, since a new power plant has not been built for about 30 years, and the environmental nuts will not allow them, for the most part.
You poor guy. Reading well is not your strong point.
Best regards, Blake Baird.