I just found this great MIT presentation on electric cars, it goes over many of the technical details of the types of electrical cars, batteries, electric motors, and how they all go together to save fuel. Slide decks one and two are available in PDF.
There are a few interesting points that are made in the presentations..
Well-to-wheel Efficiency: They peg electricity generation at only 30% efficient. If you combine the generation efficiencies, transmission efficiency and the energy spent to get the fuel, electricity generation is surprisingly inefficient. However the highly efficient transfer of that electric energy from the car’s battery to the wheels makes up for it. I’m interested in seeing how renewable energy can make the generation of energy more efficient – wind specifically.
CO2 Output: Depending on generation source, a hybrid electric car (like the Prius) can release less CO2 (~90g/km) than a pure EV when powered by coal generation (170g/km). However a traditional gasoline car is about 160g/km.
Cycle Life: Battery cycle life is largely impacted by depth of discharge (DoD)- limiting pack DoD to 50% more doubles cycle life.
Different Types of Hybrids: Outlines the many types of hybrids available – from weak to plug-in.
Payback Times: A comprehensive list of different types of alternate energy transportation vehicles and their estimated payback time.
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- Automotive battery prices falling faster than expected
- Japanese group announces 10,000 cycle capacitors
- Predictions for 2010
- Nissan forging ahead on Batteries
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