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For Electric Car Batteries, The Race for a Rapid Charge

e360.yale.edu -- The amount of time it takes to recharge lithium-ion batteries has been a major impediment to consumer acceptance of electric vehicles. But a host of companies and researchers are working intensively to develop a battery that can recharge in 10 minutes and power a car for hundreds of miles.

If stopping for gas took five or six hours, would you rethink that road trip? How about an hour? When it comes to electric vehicles, topping up the “tank” does indeed take a long time, one of the primary barriers to more widespread adoption of EVs. So it is no surprise that there is an aggressive push to improve batteries and charging infrastructure, with a goal of making a stop for a recharge no different than a stop for gas.

But pushing a lot of power into a little battery in a short time presen


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Submitted Sep 07, 2012 By: teafortwo
Category: Daily News Article Discussions > Topics Add to favorite topics  
Author Topic: For Electric Car Batteries, The Race for a Rapid Charge Post a Reply Back to Topics
REPLIES (newest first)
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honda0105
Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 12:15:41 PM

better to slow charge or exchange than fast charge. Unless battery technologies change radically, fast is not good.
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wshutton
Champion Author Los Angeles

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Message Posted: Sep 8, 2012 10:03:51 AM

K
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bicycler
Champion Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Sep 8, 2012 9:19:18 AM

I would love to see those greedy 'oilbarons' fall into the sea of Chapter 11.bHowever I may be too old to enjoy that moment!
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bicycler
Champion Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Sep 8, 2012 8:57:32 AM

bston; Nice thought but long away
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bston
Champion Author Oklahoma City

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 10:58:17 PM

They'll probably be solar powered eventually.
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kkimes
Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 10:39:34 PM

I agree NHLiveFree. Too many people make the assumption that an EV would be the only car. I have a Camry Hybrid and get great mileage in town and on the highway but I'd still buy an EV for all my local driving if I could buy one for about a 10% premium but for now, they are just too darn expensive.
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NHLiveFree
Champion Author New Hampshire

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 10:14:22 PM


Of course current full EVs are best suited only for local travel. Heating and cooling of the densely packed battery pack or groupings of battery modules is a problem and challenge right now. Fortunately nanotechnology is advancing rapidly and may provide many of the solutions to vehicle battery packs, capacity, and rapid charging. I'm glad we all have choices and can pick and choose the best vehicle for our needs. It is a shame that a small clique here seems to abhor variety and individual choice.
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txkrb
Champion Author Texas

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:13:10 PM

To jrsva the batteries weigh about 100 lbs and are extemely expensive not practical to change batteries for a charge
To kdmwi, the conversion would cost over $10,000 not practical to convert a gasoline powered vehicle
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jetskijerry
Champion Author North Carolina

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:12:13 PM

Until you can match this, I'm not interested.
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jetskijerry
Champion Author North Carolina

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:11:54 PM

My van currently has a 500 mile range and takes 5 min to fill
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jetskijerry
Champion Author North Carolina

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:11:31 PM

fix it and I'll buy it
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N5EXY
Champion Author Austin

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:09:00 PM

We need changing stations, not charging stations. Swap out the tired battery for a new pony.
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Beau2140
Champion Author New York

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:08:58 PM

OK
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KDMWI
Champion Author Wisconsin

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:02:43 PM

By the way if you want an EV vehicle why wait. They make kits to convert a gas powered vehicle to electric, and it doesn't cost $40,000 or more lol.

YouTube even has videos on how to convert.
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ace12012
Champion Author Phoenix

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:02:31 PM

read it before.
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PrinceLH
Champion Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 9:01:43 PM

Also need a better charge!
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Aviator_Rob
Champion Author New York

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:58:07 PM

It doesn't take very much time to charge an EV battery fron nearly empty to around 80% full. That last 20% is what takes hours and hours, because the charger needs to reduce the charging rate, in order to prevent the battery from overloading.

Nobody's talking about taking EVs on roadtrips. Most people would never need to charge up fully from on the road.
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DrCashFlow
Champion Author Massachusetts

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:57:51 PM

Totally agree
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vjs3
Champion Author Denver

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:55:50 PM

EV's don't seem to be in my near future.
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heartbroken2010
Champion Author Ottawa

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:55:11 PM

the sooner the better.
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jrsva
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:55:07 PM


“. . . a continuous charging system powered from the motion of driving the vehicle . . .”

Ah yes, a perpetual motion machine; that sounds promising.”
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mplato
Champion Author Columbia

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:54:42 PM

elctric isnt green
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NGEFE
Veteran Author Provo

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:54:33 PM

it looks like we need some serious break throughs
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sydb7
Champion Author Atlanta

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:53:00 PM

ok
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jrsva
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:52:38 PM

EVs are not yet ready for prime time. More development is needed, including better batteries and a battery-exchange program instead of slow recharging stations. Battery exchange could be done in the time it takes to pump gas. And they make no sense unless the electricity comes from solar or other renewable source. What’s the point of burning coal to drive your car?
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dollarwatcher
Champion Author Wisconsin

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:49:20 PM

Too much of a hassel for me.
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saleboss
Champion Author Phoenix

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:49:15 PM

EV's are not the solution!
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RecountFL
Champion Author Miami

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:46:31 PM

Great that technology is improving, but I'm still waiting for cold fusion!
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darkknight1
Champion Author Winston-Salem

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:44:10 PM

no ev for me.
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Bleeder
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:40:47 PM

It will get here eventually.
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FuelOilOH
Champion Author Cleveland

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:40:00 PM

We live in interesting times for emerging battery technology. It will be electric, turbo diesel and gas direct inject that will drive the high milage vehicles in the near future. LNG and hydrogen just are not main stream enough.
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OGW
Champion Author London

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:39:24 PM

If they want EV's to be acceepted there is much more work than just the batteries to do but a continuous charging system powered from the motion of driving the vehicle would be a better place to start the improvements.
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fenster66
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:39:20 PM

hopefully, someday.....
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DustyHorse
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:38:08 PM

Keep working on the technology.
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SandeeC
Champion Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:36:24 PM

Not surprising. And bonzoonfmb, I've heard of plans like that here in Canada. Sorta like the BBQ propane gas tank exchange. You just drive in, drop off your battery, pick up a fresh on and on you go.
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DEG
Champion Author Las Vegas

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:36:01 PM

Too bad the auto industry doesn't standardize on interfaces between major car systems. The cost of vehicles would come down if more parts were standardized and could be used by multiple vehicles (interchangeably).

I believe that success of this technology is necessary for EVs to become mainstream. However, I doubt that it will happen in the next decade.
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MG_Sputnik
Champion Author Philadelphia

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:34:07 PM

For me a race for a rapid snooze.
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bonzoonfmb
Champion Author Florida

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:29:33 PM

Having common battery packs between electric vehicles would solve this problem - just swap the depleted packs out for fresh ones.

This will never happen though, there would never be agreement on a standard for the packs and the discovery and testing of new technology in battery materials and construction would mean that there would be too much changeover to keep up with.
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mstearno
Champion Author Dayton

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:29:23 PM

great idea
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mrinmoyd
Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:27:29 PM

it will be
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gmcgas
Champion Author Atlanta

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:23:00 PM

they will have to.
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my2002m
Champion Author Tulsa

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:21:20 PM

They have a long ways to go.
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abcdMA
Champion Author Worcester

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:19:59 PM

without a rapid charge, electric cars are doomed
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wayoung56
Champion Author Alabama

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:16:33 PM

Interesting article...
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1Casey
Champion Author Albany

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:15:38 PM

more research
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herbiepopnecker
Champion Author British Columbia

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:13:14 PM

Stupid and wasteful because they jst can't get it slapped out of their moronic heads electric vehicles ARE NOT FOR road trips!
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shea33
Champion Author Pensacola

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:12:42 PM

got it
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scubadaniel
Champion Author Dayton

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:11:56 PM

New stuff is always expensive. Let the wealthy among us buy them for now and in a few years the price will drop.
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milespergallon
Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:08:53 PM

Like most Americans, I do NOT want one of these expensive useless wasteful sop
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Double_Golden
Champion Author San Francisco

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Message Posted: Sep 7, 2012 8:03:03 PM

can't afford an EV...
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