Some time ago a well established university professor declared they were to make an electric car with high voltage batteries.
Why? So that the reduced current at the higher voltage will mean lighter batteries.
However he did not say that the larger number of batteries required will mean just as much weight of battery as with a lower voltage.
So with the conventional lead acid battery we have to have a certain amount of battery.
Too small a weight and the battery is stressed too high and its plates die and after very few cycles it is useless.
Too much battery and the extra weight of the battery will cause a higher current drain and a shorter range as before.
So with lead acid batteries there is an optimum weight that ranges between ¼ the weight of the whole vehicle to ½ the weight of the vehicle.
Increased range can be got by efficient design of the car, motor, and
Transmission as well as the specially designed battery.
Batteries used for cars are designed for short life(2 to 3 years) and high discharge.
For a longer life they would need special plates and for the same heavy discharge a greater weight and yes they would last the life of the car cost heaps and as most people change their car every few years they are not really interested in paying huge costs for the next person to enjoy.
And of course the extra weight of the battery will also reduce the fuel efficiency per kilometer.
So when designing an electric car the battery choice has to be for desired range
As well as the total miles/kilometers the battery will give you.
A rule of thumb is that the further the cars goes and the faster it goes the higher the cost for total miles verses battery cost.
A recent example was the tesla sports car
The performance was amazing with the ability to keep up with any other car.
However the high tech. batteries would cost a fortune and after just a few years they will need replacing at a cost that would make the equivalent petrol cost over the same distance seem tiny.
With any electric car the cost of charging is small.
The cost of replacing the battery is the real big one.
It is the same as having a car with a huge petrol tank that needs filling up every 3 years
So what would an average person do if this was the case.
They would sell the car as soon as possible at reduced price instead of refilling the tank.
This already happens with mobility scooters and electric golf carts
Unless the buyers is aware of the exact condition of the sealed batteries they will be paying for as reduced distance before they have to replace the battery.
One of the ways to make electric vehicles more affordable is to lease the batteries and this will encourage the supplier to supply long life reliable batteries that fit the use they are required for.
i made a mobility scooter to go to the local mall.
it costs 2 cents for the power and 30 cents for battery wear.
however the cost of using my car would be $1.00 in petrol alone
