Wouldn't such a quickly chargeable battery be
able to store much more energy from regenerative
braking than is currently possible?
These batteries are apparently more efficient (meaning they generate less waste heat when they recharge) so they would do a better job of regenerative braking. However, regenerative braking already works fine with lead-acid batteries. They discharge quickly enough to drive the car engines at high speed, and apparently they also recharge quickly enough to absorb kinetic energy at high speeds.
The point that Mike Carrell has made about a very rapid recharge is that it would require the batteries to absorb energy much faster than they ever discharge it. Suppose you have a car with a 200 mile range that recharges in six minutes. The batteries have to absorb enough energy in six minutes to drive the engine at top speed for three hours, a 30:1 difference (900 hp in, 30 hp out). This is much more demanding than regenerative braking.
30 hp, by the way, seems a little low even for a lightweight electric car, based on the performance of my 40 HP Geo Metro. I think you need more like 70 to 100 HP, even with a light, aerodynamic car. The Honda Insight has a 73 hp engine and a 10 kW electric motor. The Toyota Prius has 110 hp, gasoline-electric combined. See:
http://eartheasy.com/live_hybrid_cars.htm
- Jed
