Re: BEST VEHICLE FOR DISTAN

["William Korthof" <wkorthof@earthlink.net>]

> From: eric.chang@chrysalis.org
> 
> >I have seen reports that at a production rate of 20,000 units the price
> >could come down to $7,000 a pack.  IF these packs last for 100,000 miles
>  
> If the prices are being subsidized as much as people say, it will
> take a long time for "market forces" to drive quantities up to this
> level.  

Are we really that far off the curve? 
There are at least 1,000 NiMH equipped vehicles already 
placed on the road, despite the notable reluctance of their 
manufacturers... >300 EVpluses, >600 RAV4-EVs, >100 
Ranger EVs, >300 EV1's (comming someday)... 
 
Rick Ostrov, of GM's EV1 program, indicated at a 
recent EV1 owners meeting that while the Ovonic 
packs they are putting into the EV1's this year 
will have @70 wh/kg, the almost-ready "Ovonic-2" 
packs are at 90 wh/kg, and the "O-3" packs that 
should be out within a couple years deliver a 
staggering 120 wh/kg...that's signficantly higher 
than Sony's Lithium Ion battery. 
Volumetric energy density, as well as specific power 
(note the hybrids that use NiMH packs) is also increasing. 

Ostrov indicated that a certain advanced PbA 
battery they are looking into delivers an amazing 
56 wh/kg at the D/3 rate. I was blown away by that! 
We're talking about nearly double what an average 
Delphi, or an average Concorde, or average flooded 
puts out! 

Imagine a NiMH battery pack that weighs a mere 
100 kG (@221 lbs), with 12 kwh of capacity...
a combo for a truly svelte little EV with 90+ miles. 
Or a bigger, distance EV that goes 250 miles while 
only needing an 800 lb pack. 

I propose that, barring an abrupt cut in the petroleum 
supply, NiMH is by far the best (perhaps only) chance
for a widely acceptable EV.  

/wk