The new Lotus Evija is the world’s lightest EV hypercar, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in under 3 seconds, has a 400 km range and can fully recharge in 18 minutes.
Sounds like my type of electric vehicle. Where do I sign?
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Bosch is developing “Battery In A Cloud” charging technology so as to extend electric vehicles’ battery life.
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Tesla Model S was achieving that last year 
“from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.4 seconds” with a range of 400 km, even the long range model has a sprint of around 3.1 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and a range of still around 400 km (or greater if you have the 100 kWh battery…now the only battery supplied but previously had other variations eg 75 kWh and 60 kWh choices). It doesn’t recharge in 18 minutes though and I would hate to think what such a fast charge does to battery life.
Bosch say they have developed the tech so I guess it is there but still it is just physics that they have to overcome.
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I’d back one of these for pulling power. And probably enough left in the battery to run the house for a day or two when not in use, all aircons on full.
https://www.fendt.com/int/fendt-e100-vario.html
100kWh battery, 50kW electric drive.
And one great example where the extra weight of a big fat battery is welcome. Just a little less water ballast in the rears and all good.
One is just pure fun.
And one is more useful?
I wonder which one costs less?
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Battery Powered Electric Vehicles - still a solution waiting for a lower cost, higher capacity, lower weight and faster charging battery?
Not to mention the resource (raw material) supply risks of each successful technology.
Bloomberg had this to say about prices and lead times for technology improvements vs disruption/change through new tech.
Given the lead times for any new battery or improved technology Bloomberg suggests the current lithium battery technology will set the benchmark for the next ten year window.
Five years to commercialise any proven new technology batteries from small scale to commencement of large scale production. Three to five more years for vehicle integration.
Ten year lead times for any new battery tech to be effective in the market place.
Current tech lithium battery pack costs are forecast to continue to come down in from US $176 /kWh (2018 base) to $94 in 2024 and $62 in 2030.
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Well the Lotus charges in 18 minutes…that is an improvement, not as fast perhaps as pumping petrol into a tank but it is still 30 minutes off the fast charges of other vehicles and becomes almost just enough time to get that cup of java while waiting.
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Intriguing implementation for a specific application.
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A Ford F150 electric vehicle tows over 450 tonnes of freight wagons.
And Ford plans to market a hybrid F150 which can double as a generator.
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Apparently, electric surfboards are a thing. Definitely an Alternative Vehicle. 
According to August’s APC magazine, this one’s $(Au)30,000, but I can’t find an Australian distributor.
Only 40 minutes on a charge, but I reckon most of us would be exhausted by then. Looks like fun:
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An article regarding producing fuel from sunlight without solar power.
Seeing that VW is sponsoring the research, they better double-check the emissions.
Internal combustion is not dead. Revheads rejoice!
As with the previously mentioned schemes of this type why prop up fuel burning engines? Let them go with the steam engine to obscurity or niche markets where nothing else can do the job.
They are positioned as a loop where you take in CO2 and energy and get back the same after some losses. The loop analogy is a misrepresentation as each time around the loop the fuel is burned a proportion is turned into atmospheric pollution. Instead we should go the whole hog and replace all those internal combustion engines with non-polluting electric motors, fuel cells etc.
Airborne pollution from internal combustion engines kills thousands of people every year and harms many more. Why solve only one part of the problem when the transition from fossil fuel gives the opportunity to solve both?
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I’m not convinced that there’s a substantial need to recharge quickly. Most charging will probably be done while the vehicle is idle anyway. Still, if there aren’t too many downsides …
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Analysis of the economics of oil and electricity:
And a comment from RenewEconomy:
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Perhaps some of the reluctance of Oil etc companies to let go a grip on fossil fuel engines is that until they are very well entrenched in the EV and renewable markets they would lose too much grip on any power source that eventuates. As an example Coal Fired Electric generation groups such as Origin have moved more towards supporting Renewable generation by selling systems to consumers on very good terms. They thus get the benefit of that generation at a much reduced cost to their hip pocket ie the consumer pays the generation cost off by repaying for the panels etc and it doesn’t need an interest rate as they can sell at a small markup, they also get the benefit of the RECs to offset their emissions from carbon burning generation…a win win for them.
Another article recently published also points to how Australia appears to be lagging behind the remainder of the World when it comes to the uptake of EV vehicles. NRMA spokesperson Rebecca Page was quoted in the article saying "“Forces outside Australia’s control are forcing a change to electric vehicles. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’, and if this report is accurate and we hit a production tipping point in 2020-21, Australia needs to be prepared for that,”. Another major concern she noted for many of us here is “range anxiety” ie the worry that a trip may be too far because of a lack of charging/recharging stations to be able to make the trip.
To read the article see:
https://thenewdaily.com.au/money/consumer/2019/08/04/electric-car-nrma-angus-taylor/
For a copy of the report that the article references go to:
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Electric vehicles certainly will be choice of the future.But to kick it along the government needs to step in and help.Like charging stations for example.Just reading that England now has 500 charging stations around the country impressive
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Agree, although there is a chicken and the egg situation with volume driving costs down, while currently entry costs are too high.
There are alternatives such as Electric Bicycles (Ebikes) and upmarket variations on battery golf carts that could make a big difference. Mainly for shorter trips with the prospect of eliminating the need for a second or third car.
Government regulation currently restricts the widespread use of these lower cost, low pollution, and potentially congestion busting alternatives. Governments could do more to help the EV cause, or other low energy use options.
Ebikes are limited to 200/250W and 25kph assisted. Higher powered machines are classed as motor bikes/scooters. There may be room to move the line given a healthy rider can output much more energy, and to allow for the extra load of shopping, hills etc at a fair speed.
Golf Cart style or light weight transport given the current ADRs are an impossible solution. Our current traffic rules assume a laden 45tonne truck on the same streets at 50/60kph is ok. There is scope to designate local traffic routes and improve traffic management.
If some roads use is based on what is needed to provide safe use of light weight local use EV’s, there is another way forward. Not good news if you are part of For-Yota, but great for Clubcar?
History is littered with failed versions of light weight or compact vehicles. We are still wedded to high speed steel crash boxes weighing upwards from the 1200kg mark empty. The Smart models excepted.
Only some EV thinking has tried to go down this alternate path.
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Intriguing comments on how electric vehicles fit in with the rest of the world:
Then there’s this:
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The fact that electric vehicles are virtually silent at low speeds is a problem - I guess.
The video in this article about the Jaguar implementation explains it well.
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Scientists develop technology to produce hydrogen from oil deposits at economically viable cost.
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