The Toshiba battery technology is very impressive and will be a bonanza for them and lots of gadgets, but before one goes overboard about the electric automobile, do your arithmetic.
Jed is spot on in remembering my caution about electric filling stations. On a turnpike, you pull lin and in five minutes get refilled with the energy to travel some 300 miles at 80 mph in 3.75 hours. The actual power delivered to the wheels is not bad, say 20 kW. So that's (3.75)(20) = 75 kWH to be delivered to the battery in 1/12 hour, at a rate of (75)(12) = 900 kW, which will vaporize the battery. Think about this carefully, and multiply by 10 cars at a time. Ot think about it in a remote rural station on the road from nowhere to nowhere else. Now if you are going to deliver the same energy, 75 kWH overnight, say 12 hours, that's only a 6.25 kW rate. With 200+ volt service it's only 31+ amperes from your utility, about 8 horsepower. You can spin these numbers many ways, and they don't apply to crawling in metropolitan commuter traffic, where electric cars can perform very efficiently -- as long as you don't use the heater or air conditioner. It is worthwhile to understand that the cooling capcity of a car air conditioner is comparable with a whole house system. Don't be misled by its compactness. The compressor can draw some four horsepower from the engine, much more than a home compressor. The car air conditoner has to chill you quick and keep you cool on a hot road in the hot sun with an inefficient furnace in front of you. For an electric car, the furnace isn't there and insulation can be better. The current litium ion technology is expensive. Lead acid batteries are good for delivering huge current surges necessary for starters and highway passing. I assume lithium ion batteries can be designed for automotive service. Mike Carrell
