Technology Electric Cars ...

[BravoZulu]

My dad used to tell me how "electric vehicles" are nothing new, the Germans had electric trucks and the poms used electric milk carts in the 40's

 

[Bombardier]

Finally, we already have brown outs in Summer when everyone comes home and turns their AC on. What's going to happen when everyone is trying to charge their car at the same time? Will these sustainable energy power networks be able to supply the juice to keep everyone going?

I doubt there are many infrastructures around the world that could deal with the power requirement to run a huge influx of EV's at the present time. My brother runs an EV and has set up solar power too, cost him a lot of cash but he tells me he is benefiting from the expenditure or at least will over a few years. Governements will need to consider upgrading power supply or assisting would be owners with renewable energy.

Keeping the cost of EV's high is IMHO a strategy to keep the influx of EV's down until a plan can be put in place to deal with them, not to mention the big oil companies throwing their weight around

 

[Bombardier]

Interesting article that covers the infrastructure issue but also the mental and physical barriers to people taking the plunge into electrification

How the UK's energy grid will cope with the electric car revolution

Preparing for an onslaught of electric cars won't just test the UK's energy infrastructure, it'll also challenge the bad habits of the nation's drivers

www.wired.co.uk

Another interesting article

The Inconvenient Truth About Electric Vehicles | OilPrice.com

The infrastructure needed for wide scale use of electric cars may be extremely expensive and it could take many years to develop

oilprice.com

 

[TheKiwi]

….



IIRC it had a range of 80km at 60km/h. Imagine where we could be today if the automotive industry wouldn't have succumbed and collaborated with the oil industry.

About where we are today. As @Flagg pointed out, batteries are a chemistry problem not at all alike the speed to development of computers.

 

[digrar]

My brother runs an EV and has set up solar power too,

You get sun in the UK? Turn it up, you're pulling my leg...

 

[Bombardier]

I know mate surprised me too, but it is producing for him ?

 

[digrar]

He lives in Perth Western Australia, doesn't he... you trickster.

 

[Flagg]

What are your thoughts on the raw materials? Lithium mining is gearing up here in Australia, but what about cobalt and other metals required? If we're only keeping up with small phone and drill batteries, are we going to be able to keep up with a surge of much larger EV batteries? I'm assuming recycling will come into play here.

Raw materials is a BIG issue.

Lithium is still going to go strong for another 20 years, minimum.

At least 10-15 years after an initial early adopter introduction of non lithium solid state batteries.

But with prototype solid state batteries, they still use lithium as part of raw materials.

So we could be looking at 25-40 years of heavy demand lithium.

Strategic access and supply will be getting well and truly staked out by now.

Rumour is the Chinese are not willing to let 8t out of China raw, only in value added state(manufactured batteries).

 

[TheKiwi]

The Chinese tried that back in the mid-naughties when they thought they had a monopoly on various rare-earths. It failed miserably as other places ramped up or resumed production.

Rare earths just aren't that rare (yes including Lithium). They're only rare compared to Iron. What they are is messy to extract and refine which is why the west has largely outsourced it to the Third World. Out of sight, out of mind.