While not exactly about EV’s, this is about an EV experience that if replicated enough times could be a deciding factor long term. I imagine the UK is well ahead of AU in rolling out charging stations, yet
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Is Australia missing out on some of the action?
News releases locally are few and far between, or slow to catch on.
The source of the article Ekectrek covers a wide variety of EV options including Electric bikes that would fall into the ‘requires road registration in Australia’ category.
With Australia no longer a designer or manufacturer of passenger vehicles, are the Australian Design Rules a handicap to progress towards lower carbon transport? Are they also simply protecting narrow vested interests by minimising competition and keeping new technology from competing against yesterday’s leftover designs?
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You would think the UK would be fast tracking more charging stations/points as it quickly moves to a non FF car fleet starting with a ban on internal combustion car sales from 2030 and bans on hybrids by 2035. They have only about 9 years to make sure the outcome in the article isn’t the normal day for a traveller.
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If Australia went down the same path it could lead to sales of up to one million EVs every year from 2030 onwards.
Whether it is GB or Australia we are looking at, more than new charging infrastructure (or hydrogen fuel outlets) need to be built. A very significant increased capacity in electricity generation and distribution needs to be delivered over the same period of time, to provide the power.
Notes
A modest BEV such as a Hyundai Kona Electric might use around 2,200kW hrs from the charger for 12,000km annual travel. Average annual household electricity consumption in Australia is quoted in ranges from 5,000-7,000 kWh. It’s evident that the residential grid will need to supply increased demand for electricity of to 50% or higher to support a fully BEV future. The hydrogen economy is even more demanding on increased generation capacity, assuming electrolysing water to produce hydrogen is the primary source.
The majority of Australia’s energy needs are currently met from hydrocarbon fuels (oil, petrol, diesel, aviation fuels and gas). Which is another way of sizing the scale of new green energy required to be added to existing generating capacity.
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These are future planned vehicle releases…will be interesting what the ultimate release price is. It is also around the price of the MG, so rather than leading the pack, they might be playing catch up with the Chinese brand. Note, the article is in USD.
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The current focus from Tesla has been on refining (small incremental improvements) the one battery technology and type of cell construction. At the same time relying on economies of scale and technology to drive down the cost of it’s finished battery packs. The current 2170 size package may be replaced by a better performing fatter 4680 tab-less cell. Still to be seen or demonstrated in the flesh, offering up to a modest 16% improvement in range. Estimates suggest Tesla last year had it’s battery costs down to US$150/kWh with the existing 2170/21700 cells.
There are alternatives cell packages. Prismatic and Pouch cells form the basis of the battery packs of many of Tesla’s competitors. Currently the cost of these is reportedly greater than Tesla. But with fewer cells to make up a battery less complexity in assembly of completed packs.
There is ongoing R&D to improve current designs, as well as produce new types of batteries. The theoretical capacity of the competing existing and new technologies is typically several times up to ten times or more than what has been demonstrated or in commercial products. The following report provides a broad over view of the current and possible future technologies.
It includes some industry provided targets, in particular for EV battery performance at which point the industry believes the batteries will meet the needs of the majority of designers and customers vehicle needs. These are a relatively modest
usable specific energy at C/3 rate of 350Wh/kg
and
usable energy density at C/3 rate of 750Wh/l
Tesla’s 21700 cells have reached 300Wh/kg.
There are alternate types of battery that have in prototypes demonstrated specific energies of 500Wh/kg for Lithium Sulphur based cells or 450Wh/kg for a more conventional design using a ceramic filled separator.
One version of a solid state battery has now made it in prototype testing demonstrating a step change in charging rate without loss of service life or capacity.
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A US company is launching electric conversions for classic cars.
Would that devalue my GTHO Phase 3?
No more or less than a Lotus Cortina Twin Cam.
But we digress. The future no doubt will allow for both just as a 1901 DeDion Bolton can still be registered and used today. Despite a lack of modern safety features, and doubtful brakes.
Likely both of the Fords will need to be converted to run on biofuel, or a synthesised sustainable green alternative? Piston engined light aircraft are also likely to be around for the foreseeable future, ensuring supplies of more traditional fuel will need to available.
There’s still a significant gap between the specific energy of petroleum products as an aviation fuel and battery technology.
Typically one kilogram of fuel in a piston engined aircraft at 25-30% efficiency converts to between 11-15MJ of energy at the hub, (or 8-11MJ per litre of fuel). For comparison, current battery technology needs a step change 15 to 20 fold improvement to provide an equal power to weight ratio. Tesla’s latest lithium 21700 cells deliver approx 1.1MJ/kg of energy storage. This is before considering losses in the electrical drive system and an further 25% approximate increase in weight once combined into a battery pack.
The same comparison with a turbo fan jet engine typical of nearly all long haul air travel? These are operating at up to 35% efficiency. It’s a large performance gap.
Curiosity Corner:
One of the best rechargable battery technologies of the early 20th century was the Nickel-iron battery. Also known as the Edison cell it was patented in 1901. These were approx ten times the weight of a modern lithium iron battery for the same energy capacity. It’s taken nearly 100 years to deliver a ten fold improvement in battery technology. Hopefully not another 100 years to gain the next 10 or 20 times improvement.
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All European truck makers will cease using diesel engines bt 2040.
And Mercedes to release 6 electric vehicles by 2020.
I wonder if the logbooks will have a supplement for the recall notices?
An article about the new Ferrari hybrid supercar.
Is it too late for me to ask Santa for one?
Looks like it is purposefully designed to suck cane toads off North Queensland roads. Environmental street cred?
Reads like it is still principally a carbon based fuel guzzler.
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An article claiming that ICE engine factory owners will be racing to unload soon to be worthless factories.
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I think this is sensational.
EVs (either battery or fuel cell) will require production lines no differently that ICE for their manufacture. The difference being that the factory will be assembling different drive components. Equipment used within the production line for the drive components may be different and could easily be retrofitted, while the main assembly line for body and other components will be very similar. Claiming that ICE factories will be stranded assets doesn’t seem plausible and sensational reporting.
Engine factories are normally separate to car manufacturing factories and they ship the engines to the car factories.
Engine factories involve a lot of casting and machining processes, different to making batteries and electric motors.
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A more nuanced opinion holistic in its outlook.
It would seem inevitable that some assets can be reconfigured, however with different strategies for vehicle design, and how vehicles connect with the market?
Think less personal ownership, more GM autonomous car service. Why would GM fight it out for market share with Ford for sales to Uber agents or Google when they can cut out the middleman?
The Guardian focuses on just one aspect of the industry. There is nothing to support whether the suggested outcome is of any importance. Production lines receive major upgrades with each major model or technology revision. Stranded assets appeal to one sentiment. Automotive manufacturers have faced this every decade or so. Nothing new, or financially threatening. Compared that is to the cost of not adapting more strategically.
Sony is testing a concept electric vehicle.
Presumably the electronics will be fantastic.
Another vehicle to park in the sun. With all those solar panels, a car-park bingle could get expensive.
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Don’t forget the premium parking fees for rooftop parking spots. 
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Yes I have pointed out the Sono Sion a couple of times here on the site. Quite an innovation in the realm of EVs with the option to car share, power share, charge in the sun, use of panels as part of the car shell and doors, moss in the ventilation to help purify the air, battery lease if you don’t want to purchase the battery outright.
Sadly not Australia bound yet but I keep asking them 
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The innovation is an eye opener for what is now possible.
With the target cost so competitive, how much cheaper would the vehicle be with a standard material for the skin?
The promotion recognises the built in panels deliver an offset to plug in charging. Now much would depend on real how ones world usage patterns compare with the weather over time. And always parking in the sun.
A black finish for the typical Aussie summer.
As ‘The Driven’ advise
Granted, if and when the Sion solar car comes to Australia it will also attract GST, import and shipping costs (we note that it is possible to pre-order from Australia, albeit in euros).
There is an assumption compliance certification costs will also need to be added if direct imported.
This will likely place it well above the MG ZS EV which has a rrp excluding on road costs of just over $40k. But with the magic of the built in PV panels.
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