benswing
Well-known member
diegoyork said:Well, I love electric cars and rechargeable battery is the most expensive component of a car. However, researchers are working on improved battery technologies to increase driving range and decrease recharging time, weight, and cost. I also heard form a friend of mine that there are serious safety issues with the existing lithium-ion batteries that are used in electric and hybrid automobiles. However, a research firm claims that it has discovered a way to make a safer battery that can create a longer driving range by utilizing a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one.
diegoyork, Here is another article about the same technology, which will be years in development before it MIGHT be able to be manufactured:
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/510311/battery-material-prevents-fires-stores-five-times-the-energy/
There are several different Li-Ion chemistries being used in electric car batteries, and I don't recall any issues occurring in real world use of cars. The Volt that caught fire years ago was a test mule and it was placed upside-down for 3 weeks in a very hot environment (or some other strange circumstance that would never happen in real use). The Fisker Karmas that caught fire were inundated with saltwater after Hurricane Sandy. The iMiEV fire occurred in the factory and had a different chemistry than the cars that were sold before that batch.
So, the whole "dangerous battery" thing is in practical terms, a non-issue. That being said, there is always room for improvement but Li-Ion batteries are still far safer than putting several gallons of flammable liquid in a tank under your seat.