How far can you get on a tank of gas? 200 miles? 300? Maybe even as much as 500 miles in a single tank (and if so, you either have a very light right foot, or a very big gas tank!) 500 miles seems to be the “golden ticket,” as it were, when it comes to electric vehicles and their batteries. There is even a government-sponsored contest that will award a large sum of money to the first individual or company to make a battery that can propel a car 500 miles. That is a long time coming though… right?
Not according to Martin Eberhard, a former Tesla employee who is now developing a battery system Volkswagen. In an interview with AutoCar, Eberhard says that within 10 years, electric vehicles will have a range of 500 miles or more. Do you believe him?
You may have heard of Eberhard before. He was one of the co-founders of Tesla, before being given the boot in a somewhat messy divorce. He has obviously landed on his feet though, and has a ton of resources at his fingertips. Volkswagen has made it clear they are aiming for global domination… of the car market (ze Germans are coming!). They believe that electric cars are the future, and Eberhard has brought a lot of good ideas and talent with him.
Under Eberhard’s guidance, VW is using 18,650 lithium-ion cells, the same kinds found in most laptops. The reason, Eberhard says, is that these laptop batteries develop at a much more rapid rate than bigger batteries… because there is already massive demand for them. Five years ago the batteries used in the Tesla Roadster had about 1.4 amps-hours, while today’s batteries have doubled, delivering 2.9 amp-hours of power. And VW is about to take delivery of cells that have 3.4 amp-hours of power. Put into the Audi e-Tron, they would extend the driving range from 150 miles to 300 miles, and boost power from 60 kWh to 100 kWh.
Eberhard says within 10 years, we will have a battery electric car capable of going 500 miles. That would alleviate range anxiety, he says, because how often does one drive 500 miles in a day? Not often, I’d wager. Mark it on your calenders, people. 2020 will be the year the electric car out performs a combustion car… we hope.
Source: AutoCar | Image: Audi
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About Christopher DeMorro
Well…I would bet that it will be a lot sooner than that…
Well…I would bet that it will be a lot sooner than that…
I regularly get 525+ miles on a tank & have seen 600. Of course I drive a Golf diesel.
For me the goal on an electric, for it to be my only vehicle, would be more like 700 miles (at 70mph) and an 8 hour recharge from a standard wall outlet. That would make it feasible for things like road trips. As a second car, a 100 mile range is more than enough for me. 150 would give me a bit more flexibility.
I regularly get 525+ miles on a tank & have seen 600. Of course I drive a Golf diesel.
For me the goal on an electric, for it to be my only vehicle, would be more like 700 miles (at 70mph) and an 8 hour recharge from a standard wall outlet. That would make it feasible for things like road trips. As a second car, a 100 mile range is more than enough for me. 150 would give me a bit more flexibility.
P.S.:
“Mark it on your calenders, people. 2020 will be the year the electric car out performs a combustion car… we hope.”
That comparison is nonsense, unless you can charge a battery as fast as you can fill a gas tank.
P.S.:
“Mark it on your calenders, people. 2020 will be the year the electric car out performs a combustion car… we hope.”
That comparison is nonsense, unless you can charge a battery as fast as you can fill a gas tank.
This whole requirement is nonsense. Want to own one car and take it on road trips? Don’t buy an electric! The majority of Americans own more than one car, commute far, far, far less than 100 miles a day, and take road trips rarely enough that they could just rent if it came down to it.
It’s all psychological.
This whole requirement is nonsense. Want to own one car and take it on road trips? Don’t buy an electric! The majority of Americans own more than one car, commute far, far, far less than 100 miles a day, and take road trips rarely enough that they could just rent if it came down to it.
It’s all psychological.
500 mile (800 km) range would be more than enough for 90% of road trips for 90% of the people 90% of the time. After driving 800 km, most people would need 8 hours of sleep anyways…
500 mile (800 km) range would be more than enough for 90% of road trips for 90% of the people 90% of the time. After driving 800 km, most people would need 8 hours of sleep anyways…
Christopher, Martin Eberhard is much more than “a former Tesla employee.” He is the actual founder of Tesla Motors with Marc Tarpenning. He is the person that we have to thank for the current EV revolution that is sweeping the auto world.
Christopher, Martin Eberhard is much more than “a former Tesla employee.” He is the actual founder of Tesla Motors with Marc Tarpenning. He is the person that we have to thank for the current EV revolution that is sweeping the auto world.
THE SUN IS THE ANSWER !!!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DESERTEC-Map_large.jpg
For illustration: the red squares indicate the space needed for solar collectors to produce the present power for the world (18.000 TWh/y,…300×300 km2), f……or
Europe (EU 3.200 TWh/y, 125×125 km2) and for Germany or MENA (Middle East and North Africa, about 600 TWh/… Vezi mai multy, 55×55 km2).The square labelled “TRANS-CSP Mix EUMENA 2050″ indicates the space needed for solar collectors to supply the needs for seawater desalination and about two-thirds of the electricity consumption in MENA in the year 2050
and about one-fifth of the European electricity
THE SUN + ELECTRIC CARS + 500 miles range battery pack = FREEDOM !
I would like to know if any car companies are developing a zinc-air battery for a concept vehicle. The energy density is supposed to be greater than the lithion-ion, without the same issues of overheating. Zinc-air works great on the small scale so far, but I want to see this ramped up to the auto industry.
Any insider knowledge?