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RE: "GM's Electric Auto Will Need a Leap of Science": Doron Levin
Levin is wrong that "...the EV1 was a resounding flop...".
The EV1 was an amazing success; every EV1 that
was offered was leased under onerous conditions that GM made very difficult and expensive. GM was not alone in
making it difficult to even lease an EV; Honda was even more magesterial, while Nissan and Toyota would only lease
to fleet operators.
Only after the program was cancelled did Toyota, for six months in 2002, offer the last 328 RAV4-EV to the general
public.
They were snapped up, and all (except one that was rear-ended) remain on the road today, faultlessly driving up
to 80 mph for up to 120 miles on a charge. Many EV drivers make their own electric; EVs are so efficient even a
small solar system can pay for daily driving with excess electric production.
The batteries used by these RAV4-EV, by Honda, Ford and even GM, are Nickel-Metal-Hydride ("NiMH"), which
were certified as lasting longer than the life of the vehicle. They have adequate power, and balance the cost of
the batteries with the high value of recovering the valuable nickel metal used in making them, after their long
career of perhaps 200,000 miles of care-free, oil-free driving might be done.
Levin is correct in that GM has mixed motives, at best, in announcing their serial plug-in hybrid.
GM is to be praised for settling on the serial configuration, similar to a diesel-electric locomotive, where the
only source of traction power is the electric motor. The small gas engine is used only occasionally, and only to
generate electric for long trips or if the batteries are low. The serial hybrid allows many solar homeowners to
drive essentially "oil-free" for the daily grind, only occasionally relying upon gas or diesel, and makes
electric traction power practical for everyone.
But GM, if it were serious, could build the serial plug-in hybrid today, using existing NiMH batteries.
The existing RAV4-EV, using NiMH, are instant serial-hybrid EVs if a small under-the-hood or trailer-mounted 1000
CC generator is added. Usually, for the first 120 miles, this small SUV would rely on its battery store of off-peak
electric power; normally, that would be enough for the day's driving. On the few occasions that the EV were used
for long trips, or if the driver forgot to charge the batteries, the gas generator would fire up. Because the electric
motor direct drive train is so efficient, the electric from a 40 hp generator is enough to keep this SUV at 80
mph all day.
The key problem with the GM announcement is that GM relies not on NiMH, but on uncertain "research" into
other battery chemistries. Even worse, this "research" is handed to Chevron Oil, which has absolutely
no interest in allowing cars to be powered by electric from the wall or from solar electric systems. Chevron being
involved means that they will ignore NiMH, and postpone things for another generation -- or more -- if we let them.
There are no technical hurdles, no research needed; all that's needed is an honest interest in making the serial
plug-in hybrid, which is proven, practical, and, essentially, here now with the 328 privately-owned Toyota RAV4-EV
(over 900 RAV4-EV if fleet RAV4-EV are included).
Do a real story on the very real Electric cars that still are allowed, thanks to Toyota's selling those 328 RAV4-EV,
to drive essentially oil-free, relying upon off-peak power paid for by on-peak production of critically needed
daytime power.
"...GM
awarded development contracts to...Chevron Corp...for lithium-ion batteries...GM executives know that many will
interpret the Volt prototype as a public-relations exercise..."
So GM, with the aid of Chevron, seems determined to kill the Electric car all over again.
Visit, or demand press coverage, of one of our solar-EV ("PV-EV") homes for a test drive in a RAV4-EV
and demonstration of solar rooftop power.
For example, we powered two RAV4-EV last year, and still donated $89 in excess electric power to SCE.
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