Toyota RAV4e electric.

http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/ravev/rav4ev_0_home/index.html


> "In addition to generating zero emissions, the revolutionary 67-hp motor
> is capable of approaching 78 mph, more than adequate for both street
> and highway driving."

67 HP (= suspiciously close to 50 kW.)
Suggesting a rather high power capability battery.

> "Utilizing 24 high-capacity, nickel-metal hydride batteries,

Spec page says 24 x 12v batteries (!)
Onboard charger rated at 30A x 220v and takes 7.5 hours
30 x 220 x 7.5 = 50 kWH
Allow inefficiency losses in charger and battery storage to give about 40
kWH energy storage.

40,000 / 12v / 24 batteries ~= 140 AH batteries. That's about 3 times the
capacity of a typical car battery. Even allowing for the superior capacity
of NiMH that's a top spec battery.

Pretend max range available at 30 mph so time = 126 miles /30 = 4 hours or
so.
(Note that 126 miles is suspiciously close to 200 km :-) )

40 kWH/4 = 10 kW ~= 13 HP average. Not vast and much less than the 67 HP
peak.

50 kW peak power /12v/24 =~ 175A peak - entirely believable.
(Batteries will not all be  in series almost certainly but sums work out the
same.)

100,000 mile battery life.
100000/126 miles per charge =~ 800 charges = about 2 years

> Say goodbye, aircar.

How much will 24 x 12v x 130 AH NiMH batteries cost?
I'd GUESS that a figure of $US200 per battery would be in the ballpark and
probably low - possibly very low. (A standard auto use battery half that
capacity in Lead Acid is $US40 ish trade here. Deep discharge and marine use
are far more. The NimH has to be very good at deep discharge.)

24 *$200/2 = $2400 per year or $6 per trip. Proportionately more if
batteries cost more.
126 miles @ $6 = 5c/mile or highly competitive with petrol (depending what
country you live in). On top of this there is a purchase incentive which I
think was $3000 pa for 3 years. May have read that wrong? Plus you get to
park in special car parks. Apparently battery disposal costs and energy
production at a distance are acceptable compared to smog.

I wonder how long the 100+ Californian recharge stations will continue to
give away 40 kWH = $4 charges for free?

Air cars may still have a place.
But, bureaucracy being what it is,  you probably wouldn't be allowed to park
one in spaces reserved for electric cars :-)



        Russell McMahon






>
> --Brendan
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics
> (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics
>
>
>

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.