Is there a spark of hope that electricity can offset the soaring prices at the gas pump?
The Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) reports the savior might be lithium-ion batteries for extended travel in the electric car market.
Hybrids offer half the solution to mounting gas prices, but SEMA says lithium-ion batteries could make it possible for automotive manufacturers to produce cars that will run solely on electricity for 200-mile runs.
Manufacturers are working on power trains with high acceptance yet to hit the market. Until recently, technology to make this feasible for mass consumers has been absent.
“Energy density of lithium-ion is said to be twice that of the standard nickel-cadmium. The load characteristics are reasonably good and behave similarly to nickel-cadmium in terms of discharge,” the report states. “Lithium-ion is a low-maintenance battery, an advantage that most other chemistries cannot claim.”
The self-discharge is less than half compared to nickel-cadmium, making lithium-ion well-suited for modern fuel-gauge applications.
In researching this subject, we found lithium-ion can have drawbacks. It is fragile and requires a protection circuit to maintain safe operation. Built into each pack, the protection circuit limits the peak voltage of each cell during charge and prevents the cell voltage from dropping too low on discharge. If not in use, storage in a cool place at 40 percent charge reduces the aging effect.
Thomas Davenport invented the battery electric car in 1834 but the batteries were not rechargeable. In 1859, Gaston Plante invented rechargeable lead-acid batteries. Even Thomas Edison built an electric vehicle (EV) using nickel-alkaline batteries in 1889.
In the late 1890s, electric vehicles had outsold gasoline cars ten to one, dominating roads and dealer showrooms. In fact, Oldsmobile and Studebaker began as successful EV companies, only later transitioning to gasoline-powered vehicles.
Even Henry Ford purchased an electric car for his wife in 1908. Many socialites of that time gave this rousing EV endorsement: “It never fails me.”
By the end of World War I, production of electric cars stopped and EVs became niche vehicles “” serving as taxis, trucks, delivery vans,
In effect, electric cars were done in by electricity. The contributing factor to the decline of EVs was the addition of an electric motor (called the starter) for gasoline-powered cars, removing the need for the difficult and dangerous crank to start the engine.
In the late 1960s and early ’70s, there was a rebirth of EVs, prompted by concerns about air pollution and the OPEC oil embargo. Gas supplies were short and service station lines long.
Again, in the early 1990s, a few major automakers resumed production of EVs ” prompted by California’s landmark Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate. Those EVs were produced in very low volumes, essentially hand-built, like early predecessors. As the ZEV mandate weakened, automakers stopped making EVs. Toyota was the last major automaker to stop EV production in 2003.
Still, SEMA’s report states this new surge would be a huge advance for technology, vehicle manufacturing and the specialty-equipment industry. SEMA is concerned by a recent survey showing that if national gas prices reach $4.94, enthusiasts will begin to curb specialty-equipment purchases.
Hybrid sales have been on the rise, hitting one million in sales last May. Hybrids were accepted by the gas-conscious consumers able to afford the hybrid premium, an acceptance that could transfer over to electric vehicles.
As technology increases, performance shops most likely will produce and install parts to propel these vehicles faster. SEMA indicates the wheel and tire industry may have to be aware of the way their products affect EVs. Wheels will have to be lighter, and tires will need to produce less resistance to supplement the EV’s range.