[ausev] Electric energy transfer and storage limitations

[Gil Dawson]

At 3:26 P +0100 5/15/07, John Rumsey wrote:
>EV's that I have read about either have low speeds,
>short ranges, high cost and long recharge times [when
>you can find a place to plug in], or some cobination
>of these.

Range and recharge times are related to inherent limits
in today's electricity distribution technology and batteries.

A 10-gallon tank of gasoline contains about 360 kwh of energy.

To fill that tank in, say, a minute, requires the transmission of
21,600 kw worth of gas through the hose during that minute.

Imagine the connectors and cables that would be required
to zap 21,600 kw of electric energy into your car for a minute.

As a point for reference,
the charger for my S-10E is rated at 6 kw.

Imagine the battery pack that could store 360 kwh.

As a couple points for reference,

The Prius stores about 2 kwh in its 200-volt battery pack.

My EV1 stored about 35 kwh in its 328-volt battery pack.
(Yes: one gallon-of-gas-equivalent.  If it had been a gas
car it would have been EPA-rated at something like 100 mpg,
owing to its many energy-conserving design features like
hard tires and aerodynamic shape.)

--Gil