Inspirational links
Inspiration came from the announcement of the pure electric and high performance Tesla electric sports car that pushed me into looking further into the drive train details and studying battery technologies.
This project came about from my enlightenment that pure electric vehicles can meet or exceed the performance of internal combustion powered vehicles when powered by the right batteries in the right quantity and in the right location.
For additional info on this conversion see my entry at www.evalbum.com/1541
Web sites that are inspiring and educational:
A wealth of EV info and related links can be found at MIT's Electric Vehicle site: web.mit.edu/evt/links.html
A team in New Zealand is constructing a race car using same drive Siemens/Inverter drive system as my BMW project but in a serious lightweight chassis: The aim is to be able to compete with its gas equivalents. www.greenstage.co.nz
This Honda CRX was converted by EV expert Victor Tikhonov of metricmind.com with very complete and informative description. Metric Mind Corp is the source of most of the EV components in this conversion project.
Victor has a new Audi conversion going at a similar scale to my BMW conversion but is using 2 motors and 2 inverters!! This is with the same motor and inverter that I am using but without transmission... see the project with great detail at:
http://www.metricmind.com/audi/main.htm
www.proev.com where Clifford is demonstrating serious performance capability
Bryan Avery's top-notch Honda Accord conversion
A great site about Porsche 914 conversions by TimK at http://914ev.blogspot.com
A new approach to simplify hybrid conversions, including large trucks:
Technical Links
Lithium batteries take to the road, a look at what makes these A123 lithium cells different from the current generation cells, like the ones in laptops and cell phones.
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/sep07/5490
Portable Power, A little battery chemistry lesson from Electronic Design News
http://www.edn.com/article/CA6501082.html
Recent discovery in high density charge storage Silicon Nanowires
It is this kind of breakthrough that may lead to extensive range capability
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2008/january9/nanowire-010908.html
Here is a description of the Silicon Nanowire technology
Another potential high density charge storage technology: EEstor A storage method that utilizes large capacitance with higher voltage capability that gives it enormous charge density. The density per unit weight is up to 1/4 of gasoline.
Here is a description of the EEStor technology
The Electric Vehicle Acid Test
Are EVs really any better for the environment than gas-guzzling cars?
This article assumes all the energy used in an electric car comes from the electrical power grid. If solar panels supply the power, the environmental impact can be reduced to insignificant levels or even to zero with a properly sized solar array.
(See The Benefits section for more on this topic)
http://www.slate.com/id/2179609/
Battery Development News
Links to articles relating to the exponential increase in battery development for EV's:
I will append significant tech discoveries and related business announcements below:
They will be added as I come across them... feel free to inform me of any significant developments for inclusion here
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Breakthrough that has enormous potential for cost reduction, energy density, and power density improvements:
http://www.today.colostate.edu/story.aspx?id=2849
Updated Mar 15, 2010:
And more about the Prieto Battery details:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/12/prieto-20091217.html
Basic Lithium Ion Iron Phosphate chemistry has significant potential for fast charging and much greater life expectancy:
http://www.circuitmart.com/mart/49608D.shtml
Bosch, Samsung form lithium-ion battery Joint venture
BMW to use Bosch-Samsung batteries for e-car
Some good technical detail, showing effort/progres towards the ultimate energy storage:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/03/nanoexa-20100310.html
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/03/yushin-20100315.html
