Would you have an electric car if you had the money for a new car and were in the market for one?

[Pirahna]

I saw an ID Buzz today, the first one I've seen. When VW make a Kombi version I might get one.

Iirc they already have prototypes running.

I did wonder. A short wheelbase Kombi is my ideal vehicle, that's probably why I own a T6 version.

[Horse]

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/elec ... 43579.html

A battery startup is aiming to be the first company in the world to mass produce electric vehicle batteries with a range of 1,000km – roughly double the current standard.

China-based Gotion High Tech, which is a supplier to Volkswagen, unveiled its new L600 LMFP Astroinno battery at its annual technology conference, claiming that mass production will begin in 2024.

The lithium-manganese-iron-phosphate (LMFP) battery has already passed all necessary safety tests, the company said, and has a life cycle of 4,000 charge-discharge cycles – making it suitable for everyday electric cars.

The 1,000km range from a single charge gives the battery a potential lifetime range of 4 million kilometres, far exceeding the average lifespan of a car.

Until now, LMFP materials have suffered low conductivity, low compaction density and manganese dissolution at high temperatures, meaning they were too inefficient and unwieldy to use in EVs.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Tesla switched to LFP batteries a couple of years ago.

I can only assume adding an "M" makes them even more betterer!

[Mussels]

There's usually a trade-off with changing battery tech. Improving one aspect such as capacity would adversely affect another, size, weight, charging rate, lifespan etc.
They claim to have found the sweet spot for EVs but there are many claims of battery breakthroughs that fizzle out and I'm not expecting this to be any different.
When there really is a breakthrough I think it will take most people by surprise and we'll be asking why they didn't think of that before as it's so obvious.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Everyone's always waiting for a break through, but things seldom change through break through right? It's gradual change which just slips by. Applies to all fields really.

I also doubt there's any fundamentally new battery tech waiting. Its the same with motors. Its all 100 year old ideas...even our cutting edge motor, which we're pretty unique in making, was thought of a century ago.

The challenges all seem to be in realising the ideas.

[v8-powered]

One for @Potter ?

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/electr ... over/47243

[cheb]

If by new you mean new and unused then no. If new to me then yes.

£1K has bought me a Renault Zoe. Cheap as it's been written off and can't go back on the road, and it's as much as I'm prepared to risk paying for the battery. My plan is to use it as a battery bank fed by a small windturbine and possibly solar panels.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Double's up as a chicken coup.

[Mussels]

Everyone's always waiting for a break through, but things seldom change through break through right? It's gradual change which just slips by. Applies to all fields really.

I also doubt there's any fundamentally new battery tech waiting. Its the same with motors. Its all 100 year old ideas...even our cutting edge motor, which we're pretty unique in making, was thought of a century ago.

The challenges all seem to be in realising the ideas.

'Volume-weighted'
I don't know exactly what that means but I bought my first big lithium battery in 2010 and replacements cost £450, I just looked and those replacements now cost £300 from the same company. The price has dropped a bit but nothing like that graphic shows, I suspect the market has changed more than production costs, because they are producing a lot more big batteries with a better cost/weight ratio it is skewing the result.

I think the breakthrough will be in usage rather than tech, they will discover a better way to employ existing underused tech.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Just means the price is normalised by how big the battery is, big ones are of course more expensive than little ones 'cause there's more in 'em. Generally though they're in a reasonably small window of sizes so dividing total cost by overall battery size gives a reasonable indication.

[Cousin Jack]

So they (may) have fixed the range. Now it is just the charging time and the infrastructure to fix. By the time I make 100 an EV will be a viable option.

[Noggin]

One for @Potter ?

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/electr ... over/47243

That's kinda cool - except it looks a bit like a toy car!! Is it lacking 'soul'??!!

[Slenver]

a chicken coup.

chicken coup.png (1.58 MiB) Viewed 596 times

[Mr. Dazzle]

They've clucking had enough.

[MrLongbeard]

Wait, what, a bullpup design, a magazine but no grip and a belt feed on top but with no trigger

[Mr. Dazzle]

The really big reason for things like EV Caterhams is noise.

It's the dullest of dull reasons of course, but noise is the number one reasons race tracks get either restricted, shut down, or not even built in the first place.

[Slenver]

Wait, what, a bullpup design, a magazine but no grip and a belt feed on top but with no trigger

What can I say? AI is the end of humanity.

[Rockburner]

Wait, what, a bullpup design, a magazine but no grip and a belt feed on top but with no trigger

Probably AI generated.

[Rockburner]

One for @Potter ?

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/electr ... over/47243

I like the idea but the reality sounds gash, it can only run for 20 minutes and then it needs charging, plus they've used the large chassis and it has no luggage space anymore because of fitting everything in.

At the moment my 210bhp, 500kg Caterham (small chassis) will beat it in just about every department, plus I can put enough luggage into the boot for a weekend away with me and the missus...or easily enough to do a trackday in comfort including tools and camping chairs.

At the moment it seems like just an expensive concept car that no one would buy.

Nearly right: it's an expensive concept that they're not making yet.

It's a technology experiment to see if the concept is valid or not.

[Slenver]

Probably AI generated.

Definitely AI generated, by me.