In Quest for Better Battery, Keep an Ion Nationalism

[nadepalma]

For some reason I think I saw a similar article on A123 is in this month's Popular Mechanics.

Good news though...

[megeebee]

Originally Posted by Al465

The US should treat this challenge just as great as the race to the moon we had decades ago. Even more so because the benefits would be much greater and maybe we could tell the Mid East oil to shove it. Also, this could put the American auto industry back on it's feet.

I AGREE !!!!

[ptmeyer84]

Originally Posted by SUPERBADD75

GM should team up with another automaker (or two) to get the battery technology and their car to market before Toyota. Honda would almost certainly like to have it before Toyota, and they wouldn't be a major threat to GM due to their size. Ford would also be a good partner. anything to beat Toyota at their own game and be the first to the market with this technology.

A little help from our government wouldn't hurt either. But hell will freeze over before our government would help a company that sells gas-guzzleing, environment warming suvs

[CaptainDan]

Originally Posted by ptmeyer84

A little help from our government wouldn't hurt either. But hell will freeze over before our government would help a company that sells gas-guzzleing, environment warming suvs

But it would help them to make those suvs NOT guzzle and warm!

[GWD]

Well, I'm not going to buy any more Panasonic stuff since they wouldn't even talk to GM.

Screw 'em.

[TORRED1]

Originally Posted by ptmeyer84

A little help from our government wouldn't hurt either. But hell will freeze over before our government would help a company that sells gas-guzzleing, environment warming suvs

If you read the article you will see that the govt is helping with money, infact just as much as the Japanese, here is a quote from the article

"The U.S. Department of Energy, in collaboration with the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, which is made up of Detroit's three auto makers, last year awarded A123 a $15 million contract to develop its version of lithium-ion technology for hybrid-electric vehicle applications. In addition to the A123 contract, the Energy Department has requested $41 million this year to continue advanced battery research. There are also broad energy programs under which that could provide loan guarantees to battery companies"

[john1701a]

Originally Posted by bcjohnso99

Only if you putt around below 30mph.

That isn't how the system actually works.

Up to 42 MPH, it can be pure electric. Beyond that speed, the engine will spin but may or may not use any gas. After having decended from a mountain, even highway speeds are delivered with only electricity.

So with additional battery capacity and a plug, extremely impressive MPG is indeed possible. It will compete well (friendly rivalry) with GM's solutions.

JOHN

[plane]

Originally Posted by john1701a

That isn't how the system actually works.

Up to 42 MPH, it can be pure electric...

Um, yeah, that is how it works.

Notice how you couched that in terms of coming off a steep mountain grade with a level 5 gale force tailwind, with the tires greased with Teflon lube, or something like that.

Surprisingly, some of us have actually driven a Prius.
Of course, if you've got some visual proof or a credible third-party test that clearly demonstrates that a Prius consistently remains at full electric at anything near 42 mph, well that would be a different matter.

[tholland]

Originally Posted by TORRED1

If you read the article you will see that the govt is helping with money, infact just as much as the Japanese, here is a quote from the article

"The U.S. Department of Energy, in collaboration with the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, which is made up of Detroit's three auto makers, last year awarded A123 a $15 million contract to develop its version of lithium-ion technology for hybrid-electric vehicle applications. In addition to the A123 contract, the Energy Department has requested $41 million this year to continue advanced battery research. There are also broad energy programs under which that could provide loan guarantees to battery companies"

Still, more should be done. If the US government can spend billions researching global warming, $41 million for such an important development seems small by comparison. I agree with others here... focus on the race for developing new technologies rather than stifling the auto companies through regulation.

More money for the carrot, less for the stick.

[CaptainDan]

Originally Posted by GWD

Well, I'm not going to buy any more Panasonic stuff since they wouldn't even talk to GM.

Screw 'em.

Check your cell phone battery. Your laptop battery. the batteries in your cordless power tools. On and on. It's not just cars. The government should be PILING money into battery research. It affects a very broad spectrum of the economy beyond autos.

[XP300]

Wasn't it litlium-ion batteries that were exploding in cell phones and laptops?

We don't need no exploding Priuses around here. Then again, maybe we do!

[CaptainDan]

Originally Posted by XP300

Wasn't it litlium-ion batteries that were exploding in cell phones and laptops?

We don't need no exploding Priuses around here. Then again, maybe we do!

The new Toyota Pinto!

[Lawnchair8]

we need this yesterday

[Wolfman01]

Originally Posted by plane

Um, yeah, that is how it works.

Notice how you couched that in terms of coming off a steep mountain grade with a level 5 gale force tailwind, with the tires greased with Teflon lube, or something like that.

Surprisingly, some of us have actually driven a Prius.
Of course, if you've got some visual proof or a credible third-party test that clearly demonstrates that a Prius consistently remains at full electric at anything near 42 mph, well that would be a different matter.

And apparently, you aren't one of them. The Prius CAN run up to 42 mph on electric only. You can FEEL the slight bump as the engine gets spun up. If you have excess electric power available, especially after a long downhill run where the car spent alot of time in regen mode, the car's system WILL make use of it. I was also able to do the EXACT SAME THINGS with my Ford Escape Hybrid. That one even had a tachometer that showed the engine was indeed off.

[plane]

Originally Posted by Wolfman01

And apparently, you aren't one of them. The Prius CAN run up to 42 mph on electric only. You can FEEL the slight bump as the engine gets spun up. If you have excess electric power available, especially after a long downhill run where the car spent alot of time in regen mode, the car's system WILL make use of it. I was also able to do the EXACT SAME THINGS with my Ford Escape Hybrid. That one even had a tachometer that showed the engine was indeed off.

Breathtakingly incorrect.
I have driven a Prius.
Anything over 30 in urban traffic, the motor kicked in.
Any time we went uphill the motor kicked in.
Hell, just getting out of the parking lot, the motor kicked in.
Going downhill? A different matter altogether.

"Yeah, I drive to work and it's downhill both ways."

My post stands as written.