News on hybrid vehicles, fuel cell cars, and the future of automobiles

I read that batteries used or planned to be used in electric vehicles have problems on being recycleable. Is it true?

all batteries are recyclable. the metals are 100% recyclable, the plastic in the cases are ground up and mixed with new plastic and thus is recycled. the electrolyte solutions are reconstituted and reused. these days very little goes to waste when recycling batteries.

I read that batteries used or planned to be used in electric vehicles have problems on being recycleable. Is it true?

all batteries are recyclable. the metals are 100% recyclable, the plastic in the cases are ground up and mixed with new plastic and thus is recycled. the electrolyte solutions are reconstituted and reused. these days very little goes to waste when recycling batteries.

Would a car that ran for 30-50 miles between recharges on electricity only, but could switch instantly to conventional hybrid electric mode when the batteries ran low work for your lifestyle?

Some hybrid vehicles can be converted to have a longer electric-only range and recharge overnight, but so far the major auto-makers don’t sell that option from the factory. Would you be willing to pay a premium over the price of a conventonal hybrid vehicle to get a 30-50 mile range of electric-only operation (short commute or day shopping) with an electric-only operating cost cheaper than that of a conventional Internal combustion engine or HEV? If so, what factors might influence you? Electric-only range? Initial-cost? Initial-cost versus fuel-savings? Fuel-savings alone? Eco-friendliness?

PHEV’s can be both cost-effective, and more eco-friendly! If we can show that market demand is there, perhaps they will come sooner!

Yes, I would pay extra. Driving on electricity is far cheaper than paying the price of gasoline. Electric cars can drive for a penny or two per mile, versus 10-15 cents per mile for gasoline. This is not hype – I drive an EV, and this is what I pay. See the sources below for proof. Being able to drive mostly on electricity could save hundreds of dollars per month in fuel savings – which could be applied to the price of the more expensive car.
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Note that plug-in hybrids aren’t the same thing as the mild hybrids being sold today. You cannot equate the current crop of hybrids with PHEVs or pure electric vehicles – they are not the same thing.

Plug-in hybrids, and especially serial hybrids, offer consumers much clearer and more definitive cost savings over gas vehicles. This is the sort of hybrid vehicle we should have been sold in the first place. See the link below.

Ok so here’s the deal… I’m trying to come up with a business plan for a class for a company that would be able to increase MPG in existing, used, on the road, cars…
My first idea is to try and find a method of converting a gasoline powered car to a hybrid electric/gasoline… Would it be any where near cost effective? How long before we’d have the technology to do so?
How about ways of converting cars to run on electric power or interchangeable battery packs or things like that? I know its possible, but would any normal not-environmentally concerned person ever do it?
I want to come up with an amazing business plan that will blow people’s minds… I think a hybrid conversion would be amazing but is there any chance I could make it happen? Even if it is not yet entirely cost effective, is it feasible? Would it be helped with economies of scale i.e. the more conversions are done the cheaper they become?

Yes, here is how to do it. The key is to build SERIAL hybrids, not the parallel hybrids being sold now. A serial hybrid is an electric car, with a gas generator which simply charges the batteries. Serial hybrids get much better gas mileage and are much simpler mechanically (only one transmission instead of two.) The added advantage is being able to plug the car in and drive on grid electricity as well (for about a penny per mile.)
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The first thing to do is to look at existing electric vehicle conversion businesses. Converting gas cars to electricity costs about $5000 to $10000 (using old technology – new tech conversions more expensive.) Some useful links are on this page:
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http://www.squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car/

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Any of these electric cars can be a hybrid with the addition of a gasoline generator. Even a $1000 generator from your local Home Depot would work. I drive an EV, and carry a small generator of this type for emergencies.
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You may also want to look at the new battery technologies that are maturing this year. First are the Altairnano batteries. These are improved Lithium batteries that are safer, faster charging, and longer lasting. Here’s some info on them:
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http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/957

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The Altairnanos are used in the upcoming Phoenix electric car. This car gets up to 250 miles per charge, can recharge in only TEN minutes, and can carry 5 passengers and cargo at 95mph. The batteries are good for more than 200,000 miles. Info here:
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http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html

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Also exciting is supercapacitor technology. Supercapacitors are better than batteries in that they never wear out, and can be charged in mere seconds. EESTOR is the company to watch. Here’s some info:
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http://imdb.com/title/tt0489037/board/thread/64444673?d=latest&t=20070119204822#latest

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Then we have the Chinese, who are focused on bringing down the cost of li-ion batteries. These batteries are both better, and much cheaper (1/10th the cost) than most other lithium batteries:
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http://www.everspring.net/product-battery.htm

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And last, take a look at Firefly batteries. This company has improved the 100-year-old Lead-Acid battery to make it much lighter and much more powerful. These batteries are also expected to be much less expensive than the competition:
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http://www.fireflyenergy.com/ffy.html

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Best of luck!
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Saw TV show where they did it to older model Land Rover. The engine blown in my Land Cruiser. Really want to keep the LC, but want it more ego-friendly.

talk to the folks who do conversions. they certainly have the knowledge and will share. contact EV Parts, KTA, Canadian Electric Vehicles. while researching, drop by EV Canada and have a look.

Do people know that coal is burned to create electricity?
And that more toxic metals (compared to a regular car battery) are mined to create the large batteries in both Hybrids and Electric cars?

And that those batteries don’t last very long?

if you drive on the highway alot it is not worth it, because the batteries on most highbrid cars only are used until 75 km/h

do extra electronics; audio, video, tools, toys, …. have an effect on a hybrid or electric car’s horsepower? sorta like the a/c when turned on.

yyyyyyyyyyep

Hybrids have a second fuel source, could be gas, diesel, propane, LNG, CNG, hydrogen or some other storable fuel.

I have an ‘04 Honda Civic Hybrid but the electric motor is not working. Is it possible to run it without the electric engine ? Or would it be better to get a new car ?

it would be better to have a mechanic

Would you buy gas, or plug it in. How does it all work? And what is the cost per month? Specifically honda civic.

There seems to be a great deal of confusion about Hybrid vehicles. Simply put, a hybrid vehicle has 2 power sources. It runs on a conventional gasoline internal combustion engine, as well as a nickel-hydride electric engine. Basically, when the car is first started, it runs entirely on stored battery power. Whenever the speed of the vehicle exceeds 20 mph, the gasoline engine automatically takes over for the weaker electric motor. When the vehicle drops below twenty again, the electric motor takes over. As you approach stoplights, the friction of the brakes power friction power generators mounted on the breaking mechanism, which recharges the battery. Also, whenever the car is being run on the gasoline engine, it also charges the batteries. Sounds like it would save a lot on gas right? Not really. The average Hybrid vehicles sticker price is $6000 more than its standard counterpart. Furthermore, those batteries have to be replaced every five years or so, the price of which can exceed $5000. So anything you saved on gas in that five year period, you just blew on replacing the batteries.

Also, one last note, the only time you really save a lot on gas is when you’re doing a lot of in town driving. So if that’s where you do most of your driving, expect to replace those batteries that much sooner.