Cheaper, better battery for hybrid cars

[Brenie]

Cheaper, better battery for hybrid cars

NineMSN
Friday, October 17, 2008

Australian researchers have found a way to produce cheaper and more powerful batteries to run hybrid-electric cars.

CSIRO researchers based in Melbourne have developed a new type of lead-acid battery to replace the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries environmentally-friendly hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius use.

Lead-acid batteries are cheap and can store large amounts of energy.

But if they are repeatedly and rapidly charged and discharged - as happens when used in a hybrid car - the battery plate becomes coated with chemical deposits.

The problem means the batteries wear out faster than NiMH batteries.

Link to Full Article

[ByTheLake]

Interesting. I'd still prefer to avoid the use of lead, given its toxicity, especially if you live near a lead smelter or recycler.

I suppose each battery alternative, however, carries some environmental impact.

Thanks for posting the article.

[jkennedy293]

I wonder how it compares size-wise to a Li-Ion battery. If its lead-acid, I doubt it will be similarly sized for the same power output.

[AMcA]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

Interesting. I'd still prefer to avoid the use of lead, given its toxicity, especially if you live near a lead smelter or recycler.

I suppose each battery alternative, however, carries some environmental impact.

Thanks for posting the article.

Yes, but lead batteries are highly recycleable.

Lithium Ions, however, take considerably more energy to recycle than it takes to make 'em in the first place. In other words, they're highly not recycleable.

[Bigbee60]

I bet Chevron's buying the technology right now so it won't hit the market

[jkennedy293]

Originally Posted by Bigbee60

I bet Chevron's buying the technology right now so it won't hit the market

I thought they spent all of their money buying up the patent to the engine that runs on water.

[FStephenMasek]

[quote=ByTheLake;1538349]Interesting. I'd still prefer to avoid the use of lead, given its toxicity, especially if you live near a lead smelter or recycler.QUOTE] Do not worry - lead in teh battery is not a problem. As for living near a smelter - why? Simply move.

[Dr. Show-Me]

Or they bought up the carburetor that got 100 mpg.
There is opportunity for better cheaper batteries, because the car of the future will use way more electricity and little or no gasoline.

[johnstarnes]

I had thought that those new generation ultracapacitors were about to render batteries obsolete, or, when coupled WITH a battery would dramatically boost output and shorten charge times.

[GG_TECH]

Fe-PH LI-Ion batteries out perform over NiMH and the above lead acid batteries in all aspects except for cost. Li-ion Batts wiegh much less, provide more battery capacity, provide longer life, charge faster, and can handle short term power bursts than most battery types.

In fact, tests show that the above lead acid battery wieghs more such that the mileage suffers by several miles per gallon for a Prious. These batteries wouldn't work well for certain types of vehicles such as the Volt. Although the initial cost is attractive, the lead acid battery performance would actually cost more in the longer term over the NiMH or Li-Ion batteries.