Comments on: Renault-Nissan plan four EU battery sites

By: Chyeah

Chyeah — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:10:33 +0000

Frenchie we already have a large amount of it in Australia. They are just setting up a new lithium mine in the south of WA near Ravensthorpe, where the old BHP mine recently packed up shop early.

By: Wheelnut®™

Wheelnut®™ — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:30:28 +0000

Shouldn’t Renault-Nissan plan on designing some decent looking cars first?

Inorder to make people actually want to or at least consider buying one

By: lazybones

lazybones — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:03:27 +0000

Yes Frenchie, but they are more expensive than lith-ion.

“so they must use alot of these batteries to get a range of 200km.”

Apparently no, because Lith-ion batteries currently in used are not supposed to be fully charged or fully discharged. You are supposed to keep the charge level above 30% and below 80% (approx) to prelong the battery life. So your basically carrying dead battery weight. Titanate can be fully charged and discharged down to zero (not that you’d try that!). This means in effect it can do the same thing with less mass.

To add to that the range of the GT is 200Miles which is 320kms (Sorry I was lacking coffee that morning). Not to mention its the worlds sexiest EV and gives hope that we will still have exotic super cars in the future…

http://www.lightningcarcompany.co.uk/gallery.php

By: Frenchie

Frenchie — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:53:06 +0000

Using Titanate will make charging alot quicker, the battery alot safer, the battery last alot longer (20 years claimed) and more stable in range of temperatures. It is also one of the safest of the “Lithium-ion” batteries.
However the battery compacity is about half of a Lithium-ion, so they must use alot of these batteries to get a range of 200km.

By: lazybones

lazybones — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:39:28 +0000

No Lithium is highly combustable on its own, you just need to get it hot enough.

The advantage of Lithium battery technology is the amount of options available to you depending on the kind of performance / Environment / Cost for which the technology is to be used.

The best choice for an EV would be Lithium Titanate, due to its super quick charge times. The makers of the Lightning GT are clamining a 10 minute charge will take the car about 200kms.

I think you meant to say Lithium Iron Phosphate, which is also a good quick charging battery. Alot cheaper than Titanate.

By: Shak

Shak — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:16:12 +0000

Frenchie they did use cobalt for a long time but Toyota have begun to pioneer the next gen lithuim ion tech. Nissan have improved it and started to manufacture test models.

By: Frenchie

Frenchie — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:57:17 +0000

I thought in the world of electric cars that lithium metal phosphate is used instead of cobolt, as cobolt is the stuff that leads to batteries exploding.

Not having a go at you lazybones as regarding lithiium-ion batteries it is very complex, hence why it is taking along time to bring these batteries to consumers.

By: Yanzo

Yanzo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:28:55 +0000

omg! that looks so niiice

By: Vid_Ghost

Vid_Ghost — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:52:25 +0000

Love the look of the white anime concept car in that pick

Now why they dont make cars look like that for sale in showrooms! … the Tida the micra .. both boring dated designs.

Hope thats what nissans hybrid car will look like

By: lazybones

lazybones — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:46:32 +0000

The lithium is the cheap bit costing about $5USD per kilo. Its the other part of the battery that cost the money, the cobalt thinging stuff.

But certainly now would be a good time to setup a local battery manufacturing + recycling plant.