After reading @Rob Rides EMTB 's thread on the Home energy storage (to take advantage of cheap rates)
www.emtbforums.com
And @Mcharza's comment a few weeks ago about the LiFePo batteries in some cars
www.emtbforums.com
I thought I'd have another look at some of the electric car alternatives which might be a bit more re-cyclable or have longer life spans.
The Lithium Polymer batteries seem excellent, they don't use rare earth metals, are easy to re-cycle and are quoted as at least 3000 charge cycles, though the reality seems to be far higher assuming they aren't ever completely discharged.
I don't want something with 100000km's range and to be driving around in a 2.5 + tonne tank as my "local" pottering option, so a smaller battery works out viable for what I'd want ..
There are various options out there like this but I also quite fancied something fugly looking so it came down to the two in the title.
The E-Mehari :
The BlueSummer :
If they look similar, it's because the E-Mehari is based on the Bluesummer.
They both have a 30kwh battery. This in theory can give you upto 200km's range (I've seen one video where he drove it round paris and got to 250km's when it stopped, which is not good for the battery) Average is probably more like 120-150kms.
Seems perfect .. Ecological ! Clean ! Sensible ..
Except it's not ... There's a huge problem with them which isn't immediately obvious ..
The Polymer battery has to be kept at between 60c and 80c !!! Yes, you read that right. So when it's not plugged in, it uses it's own power to heat itself. Fine, most electric cars heat their batteries when it's cold to save the batteries and improve efficiency, but these have to do it all the time.
How much heat it will need will depend on ambient temperatures. But on average it will be using 2% of it's capacity per hour just to stay alive. If it's colder, that will be worse.
What does that mean in real world terms .. Basically, your eco electric car will literally waste at least 4500 kwh per year just to exist. So enough to drive at least 30000km's ! Here, that would mean you're spending about €700 a year just to heat your garden with your car. If you could park in your house, that might be ok, as the latent heat lost from the battery would be heating your house.
You might think, ok, average it out compared to a petrol car and if you use it every day, it's not too bad. You could could charge it on cheap rate and then let it use it's stored power to heat itself during the day, so you keep your electric cost low ish (the €700 quoted above is using this method).
The downside to that is that you're then using charge cycles and wearing your battery out just to keep your battery alive. If it's plugged in constantly, then the battery heaters will be run from the mains and there won't be any battery cycles.
They still look quite fun though. You could probably squeeze a bike between the two rear pillars and the whole thing can be hosed out and has drainage holes. A tow bar is possible too, so you could have a bike rack if you didn't want to have it perched on/in the thing.
Home Batteries / Solar
Hi, Considering some kind of home battery system, to charge on a cheap rate overnight and power the home in the day. Anyone had anything done recently? Any particular things to be aware of and products to look at / avoid?
www.emtbforums.com
And @Mcharza's comment a few weeks ago about the LiFePo batteries in some cars
NEW BATTERY TECH COMING FOR E-BIKES?
Most of us with e-bikes have likely read or heard about the frantic search automakers are undertaking currently to make "solid state' batteries for their vehicles. Japanese makers are underwriting Panasonic, Korean Hyundai/Kia with Samsung and VW/Porsche/Audi with an American company. Q: Will...
www.emtbforums.com
I thought I'd have another look at some of the electric car alternatives which might be a bit more re-cyclable or have longer life spans.
The Lithium Polymer batteries seem excellent, they don't use rare earth metals, are easy to re-cycle and are quoted as at least 3000 charge cycles, though the reality seems to be far higher assuming they aren't ever completely discharged.
I don't want something with 100000km's range and to be driving around in a 2.5 + tonne tank as my "local" pottering option, so a smaller battery works out viable for what I'd want ..
There are various options out there like this but I also quite fancied something fugly looking so it came down to the two in the title.
The E-Mehari :
The BlueSummer :
If they look similar, it's because the E-Mehari is based on the Bluesummer.
They both have a 30kwh battery. This in theory can give you upto 200km's range (I've seen one video where he drove it round paris and got to 250km's when it stopped, which is not good for the battery) Average is probably more like 120-150kms.
Seems perfect .. Ecological ! Clean ! Sensible ..
Except it's not ... There's a huge problem with them which isn't immediately obvious ..
The Polymer battery has to be kept at between 60c and 80c !!! Yes, you read that right. So when it's not plugged in, it uses it's own power to heat itself. Fine, most electric cars heat their batteries when it's cold to save the batteries and improve efficiency, but these have to do it all the time.
How much heat it will need will depend on ambient temperatures. But on average it will be using 2% of it's capacity per hour just to stay alive. If it's colder, that will be worse.
What does that mean in real world terms .. Basically, your eco electric car will literally waste at least 4500 kwh per year just to exist. So enough to drive at least 30000km's ! Here, that would mean you're spending about €700 a year just to heat your garden with your car. If you could park in your house, that might be ok, as the latent heat lost from the battery would be heating your house.
You might think, ok, average it out compared to a petrol car and if you use it every day, it's not too bad. You could could charge it on cheap rate and then let it use it's stored power to heat itself during the day, so you keep your electric cost low ish (the €700 quoted above is using this method).
The downside to that is that you're then using charge cycles and wearing your battery out just to keep your battery alive. If it's plugged in constantly, then the battery heaters will be run from the mains and there won't be any battery cycles.
They still look quite fun though. You could probably squeeze a bike between the two rear pillars and the whole thing can be hosed out and has drainage holes. A tow bar is possible too, so you could have a bike rack if you didn't want to have it perched on/in the thing.
