Electric and Alternative Vehicle Fuels

This from the industry organisation. It does not address solar, but toward the end gets into some of the issues. Now about those cloudy Melbourne days…

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That is not in doubt but it is not what I was saying. I was talking about the diurnal cycle of electricity prices, in fact contrasting it with the weekly or fortnightly cycle of fuel prices.

That was not so obvious, apologies. You have faith they would not try the same pricing things as the petrol companies to eek out an extra dollar here or there. Maybe I am too cynical?

I have no such faith if it was an earner but the future state of the market is too unclear for me to guess if that will be so.

It’s still ugly:

From one of the comments. Obvious to most, but not our government:

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Yep, although historically there are many once ugly now revered vehicle designs.

It remains a challenge that aside from a few very specialised vehicles electric conversions are not finding a similar substantial local market. Converting tray back utes and the existing even more stylish Ford and Holden utes is one way to navigate complex compliance. Potential also to deliver vehicles years sooner than Tesla might deliver RHD 2022 or ? And a local industry looking for opportunity when the virus is sorted.

Others might like to join the dots in the supply chain. Tesla imports a large volume of batteries etc from Asia, plus who knows what else.
Current small scale project shops suggest $40-60k conversion cost for a repurposed Aussie icon. Good value compared to a Tesla which as a base model looks to be closer to cost $100,000AU after shipping, duty, taxes and delivery charges.

Perhaps that Tesla styling will catch on?
Noted you can secure your place in the order queue for just $100US.

Hydrogen competitive with natural gas? Intriguing thought.

If charge time is your bag:

Alcohol for transport fuel still seems like a sinful waste:

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Scientists have developed an organic battery.

This is pretty interesting, fast charging and wide operating temperature range. As with so many breathless press announcements the project is not the stage where there are any dollar costs or a direct comparison of performance in the field is possible.

A few clarifications.

Labelling it ‘organic’ is correct in that it uses organic (the chemistry of carbon) compounds in contrast to common batteries (say lead acid) which are inorganic, using non carbon compounds. This can be misleading if the other sense of ‘organic’ - of living or once living things - is assumed by the reader.

The specific capacity (energy per weight) is mentioned at 20 mAh/g aiming at 60 mAh/ g. Existing lithium batteries are in the order of 70-250 and aiming to reach theoretical limits of over 1000. If this tech turns out to be ten times heavier than existing approaches it may not be in the race for use in vehicles.

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Being made from carbon compounds, is the Uppsala University design a “PLASTIC Battery” ?

Note:
Most plastics are produced by the petrochemical industry (oil & gas). It’s too early to know if the science will become a product, it’s ability to be recycled, or footprint - total carbon cost.

Mercedes Benz has a partnership developing an organic battery (15year time line). They claim their battery design is safe to recycle in the compost heap.

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[edit]
More battery development.

Progress on hydrogen.

Hydrogen-powered ships? I’d rather see a return to sail. Square-riggers, of course. :upside_down_face:
image

An article regarding solid state Li-Ion battery research.

New all electric Mustang in the pipeline.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/ford-mustang-cobra-jet-1400-fully-electric-dragster-quarter-mile-in-eight-seconds/ae76ddf4-1097-4098-a516-086a8efa663b#1

Where do I sign?

An article regarding calls for motor mouth Michael Moore’s anti-electric vehicle movie to be banned.

Step up onto the soap box.

This typifies the world at the world/social media-sphere at the moment. Anyone who may present a view, opinion or even a fictional story which some groups or individuals disagree with, they go on the attack.

With the movie, no one is forcing one to watch it or to pay over their hard earned cash for the privilege, so one can chose not to see it. I personally don’t enjoy his style of movies, and will chose not to see it on that basis. That is my right…at least I have a choice, but some think they can chose what I should see or censor everyones viewing choices instead.

Their grandstanding has only provided free publicity for this movie and may encourage more to see it…which goes against their own endeavours.

Step down off the soap box.

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Anybody who doesn’t know that an electric car is only as green as the power that it uses needs to pay closer attention. Of course the ICE doesn’t have the option of running on sustainable fuel. Similarly metal production and vehicle fabrication mostly uses fossil fuel still - depending on where it is made. Perhaps we should give up cars altogether until all these energy driven processes are sustainable.

Regardless of the greenicity of their power source EVs still have the advantage of not polluting the air nearly as much where it will affect people (eg in cities) as an ICE.

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Diamond nanothreads for energy storage? Sounds like clockwork at a really small scale:

Ins and outs of heavy trucking:

And a bit on hydrogen:

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An electric jet engine? :astonished:

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