Hank [BS/MSEE,
MSM $$$, Ph.D. Mgmt] teaches Entrepreneurship
&
Innovation and Marketing
@ Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana USA.
His interests include students, anything involving technology, Social
Marketing,
brain-computer interfaces, and boomers as
entrepreneurs. He is also coordinator of Purdue's Certificate
in Entrepreneurship Program. Hank can be
reached 24/7 here: hank -at-entr200-dot-com.
PHEVs, or Plug In Hybrids, are getting lots of press lately. Basically, a PHEV is a hybrid with larger batteries that are rechargeable via 110v ac convenience outlets. The “mother” of PHEVs is www.calcars.org. I’ve embedded a spec sheet of the kinds of things they are doing at the bottom of this blog. An HD video about them is directly below. Jim should enjoy this. Hank
Plug-in hybrids will probably become the norm soon. It kills me to say that, but battery/Super Capacitor technology is just not there yet.
I love how people will take it on themselves and start tinkering like this, but I HATE it when they pawn off their garage technology as state of the art. This is cool, but 10 miles of a battery is not very encouraging. I question the use of lead acid batteries (a technology that hasn’t changed much over the years, with the exception of Optima batteries, which they didn’t use, and are not made for deep cycling. Deep Cycling - completely drain a battery and then completely charge it). Sure its cheap, but look at the results. That car gets 10 miles, a Chevy Volt will get around 60, and probably use something like a quarter of the weight of batteries.
As many have said, this change away from oil will not come from the auto industry, but from entrepeanors.
That being said, Electrical Energy storage technology is about to be a HUGE industry (even Huger, if I may, than it is now), whether it be batteries or super capacitors. I would get in it if you can.
Jim
Jim, I couldn’t agree more. The overall concept here that I say is energy storage. Energy *production* is not the issue thanks to numerous solutions, it’s just that storing it isn’t so easy. There are things being worked on like fuel cell technology, and that goes right back to how energy is stored.
Also, how are these batteries disposed of at the end of their lifetime? Last I heard, there really isn’t any good solution.
Jim, the other point you addressed that I liked is that this isn’t state of the art, however they make it sound like it is. I do understand that news reporters want to grab attention and so I’m not placing blame on the people entirely.
Overall, good to see awareness to the issue, but something will have to change fundamentally about how we store energy.