Electric vehicles-Conversions

[NewcastleFalcon]

"Sell the benefits, anticipate and overcome objections"

Nissan have taken this theory to heart in their lastest "offer" on new Leafs.....so part of their offer is.....

from https://www.nissan.co.uk/vehicles/new-v ... omise.html
USE OF PETROL OR DIESEL CAR

YOU want to make extra-long journeys in your car.

NISSAN PROMISE to lend you a petrol or diesel car, free of charge, for up to 14 days during the first three years of ownership. All you pay is the insurance.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

What an excellent idea

[NewcastleFalcon]

Bit like a virtual Hybrid, and an offer which is lkely to cost them next to nothing....pull one of their stock off the forecourt, make a big deal with an insurance provider to cover the scheme and one of the most common objections is crushed.

They could well afford to be even more generous.

Regrds Neil

[CitroJim]

They could well afford to be even more generous.

And no doubt as their sales of Leaves (? - correct plural for more than one Nissan Leaf?) increase as a direct result Im sure they will be...

All a bit of bait really - a sprat to catch a mackerel...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Just out of curiosity I may do bit of googling to see if any research is being done in relation to the use of Capacitors/supercapacitors/ultracapacitors as an energy store for electric vehicles rather than batteries. Advantage may be instant charging, and possibly less environentally damaging materials being used in their construction.

Know absolutely nothing about them at present, but just a snippet of conversation got me curious...

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

That's an interesting subject Neil...

They won't offer instant charging as all capacitors take a finite time to charge and this time is directly related to their capacity (as measured in Farads). This is the basis of all oscillators...

If capacitors could be made to charge instantly then fundamental electronic theory would need to be rewritten!

It's a potential winner. Large capacitors measuring many Farads in value are already used as local reservoirs in very large in-car audio systems... Here they are able to store considerable reserves of energy and supply it quickly as the amplifiers require it .. They may look like bling but their principle is sound.... They are especially good for meeting a sudden transient demand.

I believe one problem currently is to reduce the internal leakage current of very big capacitors so they can hold onto a charge for a long while.

[NewcastleFalcon]

That's an interesting subject Neil....

Well I'm open for a bit of education so the first query on "ultracapacitor" produced this little overview.

http://www.nesscap.com/ultracapacitor/E ... family.jsp

No doubt those at the cutting edge of research are pushing the boundaries further.

Regards Neil

[white exec]

News reports on UK tv this week about Faraday Future, based in California, trying to rival Tesla. Issues with funding (mainly Chinese, it seems) but a lot of work is being done. A lot of catching up to do, but maybe a name to watch. Wikipedia entry, and lots more.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned the "Capabus" on the FCF before.

Not bang up to date, information, but China had a working Capabus system on the streets of Shanghai in 2006

Information from this wiki article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capa_vehicle
"Sinautec estimates that one of its buses has one-tenth the energy cost of a diesel bus and can achieve lifetime fuel savings of $200,000. The buses use 40% less electricity even when compared to an electric trolley bus, mainly because they are lighter[citation needed] and have the regenerative braking benefits. The ultracapacitors are made of activated carbon and have an energy density of six watt-hours per kilogram (for comparison a high-performance lithium-ion battery can achieve 200 watt-hours per kilogram, but the ultracapacitor bus is about 40% cheaper than a lithium-ion battery bus and far more reliable)"

Regards Neil

[white exec]

As the Wikipedia article says, a combination of ultracapacitors (which can rapidly accept available charge) and improved batteries should prove an interesting combination.
Hopefully, the distraction of IC hybrids can be kicked into touch.

[NewcastleFalcon]

again not bang up to date but a decent enough account from 2015

from
http://www.rdmag.com/article/2015/10/wi ... qus_thread
....A detailed look at ultracapacitors and batteries in electric vehicles
".....Ultracapacitors are good partners for lithium-ion batteries and other high-energy-density storage technologies. The two can be connected in parallel to create combined power supply units. Due to load leveling, ultracapacitors can significantly expand battery life and improve safety. In an electric car, for example, an ultracapacitor can provide the power needed for acceleration, while a battery provides range and recharges the ultracapacitor between surges.....

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

So, the Ultracapacitor in a traction motor system, providing a reserve of power for rapid acceleration, is doing exactly the same as it does in a high-power in-car audio system. It all makes good sense...

This is getting interesting...

I must study this further when I have a bit of time; something I have none of at the moment sadly...

[myglaren]

A selection of upcoming electric cars - CNN

The Swedish one is what's left of SAAB

[myglaren]

More on the Faraday Future.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Quite a range of exotic creations on that gallery Steve.

For me I would be more excited about a genuine electric "Model T", "Volkswagen", or "Mini" genuinely cheap enough in its basic form to accelerate the pace of change.

I have no desire to get from 0-60 in 2.7 seconds now, 12-15 would be quite fast enough

Regards Neil