You may be advocating fuel cells, Walleyes, but the market seems to be advocating batteries at present.
Only thanks to massive government support. Take that away, and the taxpayer money that somehow always seems to find its way into the pockets of the super rich you claim to hate. Toyota did the fuel cell thing all on its own. They couldn't find a decent hydrogen tank maker so they build their own which caused the price to plummet. Now others will be able to purchase those tanks from them and the whole market will increase thanks to that fact.
Batteries are old hat olfraud. They've been around for well over a century and are at the limits of their performance absent a paradigm level breakthrough.
You're just pissed that a private company did the work.
The problem with Fuel Cells is th infrasturcture to deliver will take decades to roll out... The making of and transporting Hydrogen looks to have serious implications. Battery technology looks good for inside a decde at the moment.
I not abandoning Fuel Cell as its need in aircraft later on is needed, I would say that Batteries looks better as we presently stand.
Batteries are at their limits now. Hydrogen can be rolled out very fast in comparative terms, and it doesn't require the wholesale rebuilding of the Grid which would be necessary if the nation were too switch over to EV's. There simply is nowhere near enough energy produced to power them. And by a fantastic amount. The shortfall is gigantic and no amount of green energy systems can supply the need. A home system requires over a month to recharge a electric car. That's a fact that kills them IMO.
Batteries are at their limits now. Hydrogen can be rolled out very fast in comparative terms, and it doesn't require the wholesale rebuilding of the Grid which would be necessary if the nation were too switch over to EV's. There simply is nowhere near enough energy produced to power them. And by a fantastic amount. The shortfall is gigantic and no amount of green energy systems can supply the need. A home system requires over a month to recharge a electric car. That's a fact that kills them IMO.
News Detail
The technology is currently being licensed by a company for eventual production. Prof Chen expects that the new generation of fast-charging batteries will hit the market in the next two years. It also has the potential to be a key solution in overcoming longstanding power issues related to electro-mobility.
Thats what they have done in Singapore, they take the lead...
Which doesn't address the fact that batteries are technologically nearly maxed out. If you invest heavily in battery technology you're screwed for the next big advance. Fuel Cell technology is in its infancy. It enjoys one huge advantage over batteries and that is it doesn't require toxic substances to manufacture it, nor are the byproducts toxic when they wear out.
As I keep stating, batteries are cute but they're OLD technology.
I am not against Fuel Cells, I think that they will be vital in the Medium (30 year outlook). I just think that Battery Tech in the next 5 years...
In truth we are like two lads looking at the same race backing two different horses, I don't think your horse is bad.
There is no certainty but I think if the battery makes a relatively small jump the infrastructure is there. We know how to make and distribute electricity.
Saying that if I am wrong a fuel cell is they way, I am just as happy... Saying that if I am wrong move to Iceland, endless amount of energy if harnessed and only 250k people.
Based on how fast Toyota was able to drop the price of a fuel cell hydrogen tank (95% drop in 5 years) I think you're not keeping up with the advances that are being made. And yes, we do know how to make and distribute electricity. However, conservative estimates are that at least 170-200 new power plants would need to be built to power the EV's. And that is off peak hours charging. I shudder to think how many would need to be built if it were during peak usage.
westwall,
Lets look at this:
Fuel Cell
How do we produce the Hydrogen?
If we can produce Hydrogen energy easily why not burn it for electricity?
EV
And also the length needed for these need batteries hitting the market in 2.5 years will give 70% charge in 2 mins, from home.
The average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,837 kWh.
Average Mileage of USA: 13,476
EV use about .3 Kwh per mile(MiniE is small car).
That is 4,042 kwh per year
So we are talking about 50% increase of electricity over a ten year period. 200 new stations seems right as redundant capcity at night could be used.
Source:
"That said, let's do a little math. In Portland, Ore., where electric cars are gaining ground and the
local utilityis providing charging infrastructure, electricity runs about 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The new
Mini E, which is still in field trials, uses .22 kWh per mile, which translates to 22 kWh for 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) of driving. And in Portland, 22 kWh will cost $1.32."
How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car - HowStuffWorks