Seriously I have recently read an article that claims we are faced a big shortage in key elements in the coming decades. Yeah I know – we’ve been short of one or another thing for my entire life so I do approach this with a bit of skepticism. However the articles insist that we will simply run out of certain elements.

Just use your favorite search engine to find:

“The US imports 90 per cent of its ‘rare earth’ metals from China”

“The Death of Gallium”

giant batteries on the electric grid to even out power distribution with power generation

Ew, that seems like a sure fire way to waste a bit more energy.

Local co-generation in cold climates (like they are successfully doing in the City of London -U K) and solar feed-in (like Germany) would be way cheaper.

Disclaimer: Our company has worked with Baxi.

A123’s (and companies like them) technology could also potentially (that’s the key word here) revolutionize not just cars but much of the energy grid. They’ve recently announced plans to install what basically amount to giant batteries on the electric grid to even out power distribution with power generation.

the lowest bidder

“You’re thinking you’re sitting on top of the most complex machine ever built by man, with a million separate components, all supplied by the lowest bidder.” astronaut John Glenn when asked what was on his mind as he awaited lift-off.

(Not sure on your other questions – but I just love that quote).

Never mind forgetting to clip it… the lowest bidder supplies those clips.

More seriously, you may be right. But this means there’s an enormous T-shaped hole in the car. What does this do to the fundamental strength of the thing?

“If GM has any sense at all they’d be looking for at least two suppliers of battery packs for the Volt.”

Greg Locock responded:

“Not so sure about that. A123’s battery chemistry is different to the Compact Power’s chemistry, so in effect you’d have to debug two systems instead of one. The battery is the major risk in the program, so doubling the work on that seems unwise.”

No need for two separate systems. You just license the technology to each supplier. Have all parties sign a nondisclosure agreement and share the technology.

This is done all the time in the electronics, software, hardware, memory, CPU, chipset, aerospace, and defense industries. It’s also done in the car-building business where other companies make Chryslers or Chevvies.

Apple doesn’t have a semiconductor fab to make their systems. They used IBM for a time, then switched to Intel. Likewise, they aren’t screwing iPods and iPhones together in Cupertino; they pay to have that done.

Not for the first time, I look at a picture of a Chevy Volt battery pack and wonder, “Just how the hell are they going to replace one of those? It looks like the only way to get it into the car will be to build the car around it.”

Doesn’t it drop out from under the Volt with the phat/T bit at the rear wheels?

Maybe it’ll just drop out on the road while you’re driving if someone forgets to race-clip it.

Not so sure about that. A123’s battery chemistry is different to the Compact Power’s chemistry, so in effect you’d have to debug two systems instead of one. The battery is the major risk in the program, so doubling the work on that seems unwise.

The 136 money’s already been allocated. If A123 uses it to help this country become an important producer of batteries, what’s the harm?

Let’s cut off our noses to spite our faces. If any US company gets any loans or gov’t contracts, let’s boycott them and make sure they fail.

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Not for the first time, I look at a picture of a Chevy Volt battery pack and wonder, “Just how the hell are they going to replace one of those? It looks like the only way to get it into the car will be to build the car around it.”

I figure this is a real pertinent question, too, as I thought GM’s had a real a flair for picking troubled battery packs. To wit, the Cobasys battery for the weak hybrids – didn’t they all get recalled?

But so far, all of A123’s production happens at its “partner” China BAK Battery, Inc.: http://www.cnanalyst.com/cbak.html

Hence the push to get government funding to build an A123 production facility in the US.

So having A123 and LG Chem/Compact Power as suppliers is nothing unusual. Why would GM want to make Volt production dependent on the ability of any one company to produce batteries?