You Are Looking At The Cure For Range Anxiety
Capacity, weight and price of the battery are the big challenges facing the electric car. Researchers at Sumitomo have developed a porous, sponge-like metal called “Aluminum-Celmet.” It promises to triple the capacity of lithium-ion batteries.
If battery size is the problem, then Aluminium-Celmet can reduce battery volume to one-third to two-thirds. Want to know how it works?
“Celmet is a porous metal made from nickel or nickel chrome alloy. The porous metal manufacturing process comprises electro conductive coating to plastic foam, followed by nickel plating and plastic foam removal by heat treatment.”
Want to know more? Full text of a rather nerdy press release is here.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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We keep reading about these big technological jumps that will make electric cars truly practical. We've got carbon nanotubes in batteries, super capacitors, krytponite, etc, etc... So when the hell will they bring these things to market? 10 years ago I would throw electric cars under the bus as being a huge joke. Now they are no longer a joke but they still are not ready for prime time. The Volt comes close to making it but that car needs a gas motor to be practical and it is stupidly expensive. Bring me a midsized car or a small pickup that has a 350 to 400 mile range at any temperature and I'm in. I love the roar of a V8 engine but I'm not married to it.
Remember the "transparent aluminum" that Scotty showed 20th century engineers how to make in Star Trek, the Journey Home (the one with the whales)? Transparent aluminum didn't exist in 1986, when that movie was released; but it exists now. As Johnny Carson used to say, "fascinating stuff". http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1410392/transparent_aluminum_star_trek_prediction_pg2.html?cat=15
Just like people 120 years ago said, 'We keep reading about this Benz and Daimler guys and their horseless carriage, but when will they bring these things to the market...'
3x the capacity. That means I can get to the airport and back!