Solar to the electric car: You complete me

The electrification of transportation will also help green the grid

Posted by Adam Browning (Guest Contributor) at 3:36 PM on 30 Jan 2008

I promised more on the impact of Project Better Place's electric car plans -- and I deliver with an article here.

For story: Solar to the electric car: You complete me
7 Comments | Post a Comment

Better Place is mostly a more expensive place

It's obvious that Agassi's scheme doesn't solve any of the killer problems with batery-only electrics - driving range and cost of batteries.
He is simply taking advantage of a strange set of circumstances : a tiny country with ultra high gasoline prices and a population desperate to eliminate oil. problem is, all their goals can easily be met with plug-in electrics and they wouldn't need to the horrificallly expensive
infrastructure of battery swapping stations and manpower requirementrs, not to mention the sharp increase in the cost of batteries that will require far more than 100 batteries for each 100 cars. Agassi's scheme is a money-making scheme, not a practical methof of eliminating oil depdendencies. Plug-in with a 40 mile plus range could eliminate over 96% of Isrel's gasoline needs and could easily be replaced by ethanol locally produced. Israel is making one really stupid move here. They haven't even analyzed the alternatives. Disgraceful.

by theBike45 at 5:31 PM on 30 Jan 2008

Analyze the Alternative:

Wish we had done that before we decided to make ethanol out of corn. Using an inefficient food stape for fuel now means it cost more to drive and eat. Who's bright idea was that, other than the farm "corn" lobby. Brazil went with sugar cane, 7 time's more efficient than ethanol made from corn. Totally energy independent as far as transportation goes. Typical, 3rd world country figure's out how to make ethanol and get energy independent, could it be because they started working on it in 1973 and looked at a few veggies before they settled on one. Did not anyone even think what this would to to the price of corn and the cost at the grocery store. You don't even get the milage to make corn worth the effort, actually cost more and cost more to make it.

The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.

by Pompey Road at 6:46 PM on 30 Jan 2008
[ Parent ]

Lol

could easily be replaced by ethanol locally produced

Yeah, locally producing ethanol in one of the areas of the world with some of the tightest demands on water.

(A country which actually went to war a couple times over water)

That sounds like a WONDERFUL plan :P (not)

by GreyFlcn at 9:56 PM on 30 Jan 2008

3rd Rail

Is it feasible to put current under the roadways so that a car's "induction receiver" could draw power?

Oh, and whatever happened to "Witricity"?

http://www.witricitypower.com/

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 9:22 AM on 31 Jan 2008

Nope

Is it feasible to put current under the roadways so that a car's "induction receiver" could draw power?

The loss of electricity would be huge
The infrastructure cost would be huge
Most cars spend 90% of their time parked anyways

by GreyFlcn at 9:35 AM on 31 Jan 2008
[ Parent ]

Mass production

With mass production of these cars the cost will come down, then a 40 mile range battery and a backup generator module can be inserted.

The project is flawed by the battery exchange notion, but not fatally flawed. A large rollout of battery exchange in a small country or for local commutes might be cost effective. If it failed these cars could be easily retrofitted with plugin hybrid technology.

MIT has made a breakthrough in tuned inductive power transfer that would reduce the power loss from under highway recharge strips, making it feasible for long distance trucks and buses. And even cars.

A really signifigant aspect of this technology is the possibility of recharge coils under parking spaces that would recharge plugin hybrids without plugging in. Pull up in the parking space, hit recharge, and the kwh would flow into your batteries while you are at work, school, or shopping. A smart grid device in your car charging your account for the power.

No plugging in necessary. This is even easier than visiting a conventional gas station.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog

by amazingdrx at 9:56 AM on 31 Jan 2008

But..but...

What if you only put it in under free flowing highways...the idea is that you would still have a battery for the local streets, but the highways and major thoroughfares would "charge as you go.."

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 11:49 AM on 31 Jan 2008
[ Parent ]

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