Who is Killing the Electric Car?

By: The Panelist Monday, August 04, 2008 2:21 PM

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With the race to launch the world's first commercially viable zero-emission vehicle now in full swing, it would be kind of fun to take a short trip down memory lane to see the genesis of this race and how we can formulate our expectations going forward.

The story can be traced back to the early 1990's, when General Motors (GM) was developing its all-electric vehicle (EV) technology, slated to launch in calendar year 1996 (for the 1997 model year). Using decades-old, proven lead-acid battery technology, GM came out with the EV1. GM released 200 vehicles in its inaugural year in Arizona and California and consumers could only drive them as a lessee.

The EV1 never became available for purchase. There were, of course, several problems/complaints with the initial model, including that they were heavy, the range allowed only 80 miles of driving before necessary recharging, and the batteries took a long time to recharge. By 1999, GM had launched a second-generation EV1 using the more advanced nickel metal hydride battery technology that charged up quicker and were lighter.

Whether you have seen the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? or not, we all know what happened next....the program was abruptly ended and all EV1's on the road were recalled and subsequently crushed. Several conspiracy theories then surfaced as to why this happened, but this is not the point of this post.

Fast forward several years, and we see hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) gaining steam as the flagship fuel efficient car. Led by the Toyota (TM) Prius, the HEV segment is rapidly gaining market share due to its wallet-saving nature and environmental stewardship. As a result, we are also witnessing new breakthroughs in battery technologies, as energy storage is vital to the post-pure-internal combustion engine vehicle era.

The traditional nickel metal hydride batteries that are used in current hybrid vehicles (either developed in-house by the auto manufacturer or outsourced to large conglomerates like Panasonic) are quickly giving way to the more advanced lithium-ion battery technology. Indeed, with a higher energy density, longer cycle life, and lighter materials, lithium-ion technology is paving the way toward increased energy efficient driving.

Automakers are pairing up with battery manufacturers such as Altair Nanotechnologies (ALTI), Valence Technologies (VLNC), and privately-owned A123 Systems, who are employing nanotech to advance the energy storage technology for HEV's and the next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). The Chevy Volt, the first PHEV to be launched on U.S. roads, will be commercially ready in 2010.

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8/4/2008 3:23:07 PM GM never wanted the EV1, now or in future either by Doug Korthof There's no "race" for plug-in cars, and there's no "agreement" that Lithium works better than NiMH. In fact, ALL the Lithium batteries have problems; that GM is pursuing Lithium research indicates that it doesn't really want to make a plug-in car. If GM were serious, it could simply resume production of the 160-mile-range EV1, or use the Panasonic EV-95 batteries that Toyota used on the RAV4-EV; add a small range-extender, and you have an EREV with 100 miles of all-electric range, and the genset powers it for longer trips. Reply Rating: (0) (0)
8/4/2008 9:44:39 PM Sort of by Jason I agree the oil companies control the car companies, but the EV1 was a battery holder. The volt is supposed to be a real mass market car. Better batteries are near. I don't know if GM could build a car people are used to that gets 100 Mile, let alone 40 mile range also with a range extender. Do we need to jump to 40 mile electric range and 600 mile per tank range? How bout 20 mile all electric and 300 mile overall range, at least to start, every one built would be sold, at a premium, you'd lose less money per unit, and you'd give batteries more time to evolve. While your at it, make it slow as shit, you'll still sell every last one that is built Reply Rating: (0) (0)
8/5/2008 1:22:05 AM How would we charge them all? by John The United States is home to the largest passenger vehicle market of any country. Overall, there were an estimated 250,851,833 registered passenger vehicles in the United States according to a 2006 DOT study. Do you know how much electricity it would take to charge all of these cars if they were electric? How many more coal plants would it take to generate the extra load? Electric capacity is shrinking every year, and our electric grid is very old and outdated. Some power companies are sending out letters asking consumers to cut back on consumption or face future price increases/ blackouts. Sure, paying 4 dollars/gallon sucks, but do you really want to pay triple on your electric bill too?....One more thing... An old man that does not drive, can avoid paying the high gas price. BUT...That same old man will have to pay triple the price to run his heat because you want to plug in your car for 8 hours every night. Reply Rating: (0) (0)
8/6/2008 1:22:53 PM The Electric Car is not dead by Alternative Energy In fact it has never been more alive. Your misgivings notwithstanding, i think that there is a lot of potential in the market for pure EVs even right now and i don't think that manufacturers have missed an important step in between. Technology for EVs in improving all the time and there every reason to believe that mass production is not a figment of the imagination. Reply Rating: (0) (0)
8/4/2008 3:23:07 PM GM never wanted the EV1, now or in future either by Doug Korthof There's no "race" for plug-in cars, and there's no "agreement" that Lithium works better than NiMH. In fact, ALL the Lithium batteries have problems; that GM is pursuing Lithium research indicates that it doesn't really want to make a plug-in car. If GM were serious, it could simply resume production of the 160-mile-range EV1, or use the Panasonic EV-95 batteries that Toyota used on the RAV4-EV; add a small range-extender, and you have an EREV with 100 miles of all-electric range, and the genset powers it for longer trips. Reply Rating: (0) (0)
8/4/2008 9:44:39 PM Sort of by Jason I agree the oil companies control the car companies, but the EV1 was a battery holder. The volt is supposed to be a real mass market car. Better batteries are near. I don't know if GM could build a car people are used to that gets 100 Mile, let alone 40 mile range also with a range extender. Do we need to jump to 40 mile electric range and 600 mile per tank range? How bout 20 mile all electric and 300 mile overall range, at least to start, every one built would be sold, at a premium, you'd lose less money per unit, and you'd give batteries more time to evolve. While your at it, make it slow as shit, you'll still sell every last one that is built Reply Rating: (0) (0)
8/5/2008 1:22:05 AM How would we charge them all? by John The United States is home to the largest passenger vehicle market of any country. Overall, there were an estimated 250,851,833 registered passenger vehicles in the United States according to a 2006 DOT study. Do you know how much electricity it would take to charge all of these cars if they were electric? How many more coal plants would it take to generate the extra load? Electric capacity is shrinking every year, and our electric grid is very old and outdated. Some power companies are sending out letters asking consumers to cut back on consumption or face future price increases/ blackouts. Sure, paying 4 dollars/gallon sucks, but do you really want to pay triple on your electric bill too?....One more thing... An old man that does not drive, can avoid paying the high gas price. BUT...That same old man will have to pay triple the price to run his heat because you want to plug in your car for 8 hours every night. Reply Rating: (0) (0)
8/6/2008 1:22:53 PM The Electric Car is not dead by Alternative Energy In fact it has never been more alive. Your misgivings notwithstanding, i think that there is a lot of potential in the market for pure EVs even right now and i don't think that manufacturers have missed an important step in between. Technology for EVs in improving all the time and there every reason to believe that mass production is not a figment of the imagination. Reply Rating: (0) (0)

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