That woulde be every year, not every decade

Yeah, Aluminum’s also great for heat transfer/retention plates with applications like heating/cooling and onsite water purification/sterilization. Even turning waste heat(solar thermal) into power via heat differential through either the peltier effect or thermionic generation.
While heating water for example(which may or may not take power to inniate) the differential between the water and the heating plate itself can be recaptured and either fed back into the process or else where(maybe a UV LED for sterilization).

I agree with your analysis. There’s nothing saying a battery that is good for residential or grid electrical storage has to also be good for EV’s as well.

As for voltage, I read somewhere recently that some auto maker is experimenting with a 48V drivetrain. Part of the reason for that is that any system using 60V or less does not need to have such an elaborate system of shielding and other safety provisions designed to protect occupants and emergency workers from electrical shock. And the advantage of that? Less cost and less weight.

The use of electricity in automobiles is at roughly the same place gasoline engines was 100 years ago. It’s a whole new ball game and there will be lots and lots of new ideas and new players in the marketplace just as there were back then.

Exciting times, but many of those ideas and companies will ultimately fail commercially or get absorbed by others.

Yes, and no aluminium gets used up inside the battery over it’s lifespan and the metal itself is not a form of energy, but rather a method of storing energy. The metals are fully recyclable.

The Nissan leaf has sold quite a bit already – nearly 1 million worldwide since it was brought out. The next generation of batteries will allow this amount to increase over ten fold – 2016/2017.

Apparently the energy density of batteries has increased 8 percent every decade or something. A little low, but not too bad, we are VERY near mass adoption of electric vehicles now and the next gerneration of lithium ion batteries alone will allow this to take place – time estimate: 2016/2017.

More cells = more weight. They can improve the cathode to address this issue according to the article, take another look at what they wrote.

I do wonder what energy density this battery has though, compared to lithium batteries. Energy density determines how long one charge will last before needing recharging again and this impact the battery life, for electric vehicles as well (not battery lifespan, but batery life).

True, however, it is probably less toxic than aluminium which causes Alzheimers disease and is a heavy metal that accumulates in the body and brain (although not “heavy” in the literal sense).

PS – Lithium orotate is a natural, effective, far less toxic form of lithium that is suitable for those with bipolar disorder in place of the toxic pharmaceutical drug versions of the metal. In fact it’s good for you health in general even if you don’t have bipolar – as a trace mineral.

I am not chemist, arne, but I don’t believe the liquid electrolyte used in lithium ion batteries is anything I would care to have mixed in with my evening cocktail.

Progress on battery technology will be steady and slow. 10 years from now, batteries will be quite unlike those we have today. Right now, most people won’t consider an electric car because they are too expensive, take too long to recharge and have limited range. That is all going to change with time, but probably a lot more slowly than we would wish for.

Lithium is not toxic in the common sense. Well of course, in the end
all materials are toxic. Even oxygen can be toxic to humans. But generally, lithium is not considered toxic.

Please don’t spread unnecessary FUD. You know how easily this is blown out of proportion and misused by the fossil fuel addicts that want to imprint this in our psyche.

From Battery University:

“Nickel-metal-hydride is considered non-toxic and the only concern is the
electrolyte. Although toxic to plants, nickel is not harmful to humans.
Lithium-ion is similarly benign – the battery contains little toxic
material. Nevertheless, caution is required when working with a damaged
battery. When handling a spilled battery, do not touch your mouth, nose
and eyes, and wash your hands thoroughly.”

From Wikipedia:

“Environmental concerns and recycling

Since Li-ion batteries contain less toxic metals than other types of batteries which may contain lead or cadmium[47] they are generally categorized as non-hazardous waste. Li-ion battery elements including iron, copper, nickel and cobalt are considered safe for incinerators and landfills.]”