Bill Wolski
Cofounder USA Energy Independence
Chairman and CEO

Quick-Charge Batteries, Recharge Network Needed for Tomorrow’s Transportation
Electricity recharging network for electric cars in U.S. needed now according to USAEnergyIndependence.com survey

For electric cars to become more than short-trip vehicles (STVs) tethered to overnight re-charging receptacles, a large interconnected network of “recharging” stations for batteries used in electric cars would be needed by 2010 in the U.S., according to a review of current car manufacturer plans and likely electric-car buyers by USAEnergyIndependence.com.

As electric battery technology extends the driving range of Electric Vehicles (EVs) beyond the 40-50 miles envisioned for GM’s Chevy Volt, set to hit American highways in October 2010, a network of charging stations across the U.S. needs to be built to accommodate the needs of the electric car owner,” according to Bill Wolski, CEO of USAEnergyIndependence.com.

A Car Battery Charging Network (CBCN) according to Wolski would have several facets: These would include quick-charge recharge stations, battery-reconditioning stations (separate or integrated with quick-charge stations), and battery change-out stations. All of which may be required to properly service the lithium-ion battery packs now envisioned for first-generation electric car usage.

Quick-charge recharge stations. To allow for quick electric “refills” with not-to-exceed recharge times equivalent to adding 15 gallons of gasoline to your car today (approximately 8-10 minutes), recharge stations would need to be able to recharge batteries through similar quick-charge technology currently available to batteries used in portable two-way radios and other hand-held devices. Sources at GM said GM is working on such a fast recharge system for their first iteration of the Chevy Volt ($35-$40k).

Battery-Reconditioning Stations. Lithium-Ion batteries, the predominant battery chemistry to be used in electric cars, suffer from heat build up, a concern among Mercedes engineers who are looking to build an electric vehicle for the U.S. market within the next year. Mercedes is engineering mechanisms to cool the lithium battery pack using air conditioned “bleeds” from the conditioning system. Heat shortens battery life.

Using a battery-reconditioning process that fully discharges the battery and “rebuilds” it back to full performance levels may be called into play to keep lithium-ion car batteries alive for longer intervals. This technology is today available for hand held portable devices and laptops that have been using lithium-ion chemistries for several years.

To add cycles to battery life for handhelds, Motorola has applied a technology that uses imbedded chips in its “smart batteries” and charging systems, which display a battery’s performance output, anticipated-life based on recharge cycles, recondition-ability (how well the battery can hold a charge after the reconditioning process to determine future “fuel tank” size), battery voltage and temperature and other factors which may rob the battery of life cycles.
By monitoring battery usage data, Motorola uses automatic adaptive reconditioning, and automatic voltage threshold reconditioning, to help gain additional life from its batteries. Application of smart battery technology and reconditioning may help solve the problem of extending battery life and reducing owning and operating costs for first phase electric car lithium-ion batteries.

Battery Change-out Stations. Change-out stations would supply fresh (or recharged/reconditioned) batteries as they became worn-out from excessive charge and recharge cycles and other maladies batteries are subject to including impact and vibration (car body jolts) and electrostatic discharge.

These change-out stations could simply serve as electrical refueling mileposts as backstops for motorists seeking to extend their driving range, according to Wolski. It would also be a solution for environmentally-conscious motorists who wish to travel “liquid fuels” free; without resorting to fossil- or biofuels- powered internal combustion engines (ICE) used to recharge the battery at any point in the driving pattern.

Fitting the electric power model of the Chevy Volt which will use ICE recharging to achieve long-distance driving, the first change-out stations would most likely extend travel under recharge-only power for 40-50 miles and may be impractical, at least initially. Mercedes “smart” cars going to fleet tests next year with street-ready versions in the next few years, hopes to extend the range to 80 miles on battery-only power. Toyota, Chrysler and Nissan are expected to add EVs to their lineup within the next few years.
Consequently, more charge-stations able to accommodate different battery sizes, in convenient distribution centers, would be needed. As technology improves the driving range of EVs, which fundamentally means that future battery technology will extend the driving distance between recharges, the number of refueling stops will decrease, resulting in fewer batteries recharges per mile. This will be offset by the growing numbers of EVs needing service.

Electric power recharges from nuclear power plants and solar panel power sourcing at refill stations could help sustain the network in an environmentally friendly way.

Plans to build a network of battery recharging stations are already moving forward in other parts of the world. Project Better Place, a unit of Israel Corp, is looking to build just such a network in Israel and is planning a global network of battery-recharging stations.

Project Better Place is also working with Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. Its investors include Morgan Stanley and former World Bank president James Wolfenso, according to published reports.

Nissan is working on an electric vehicle project that could include an electricity-charging network and tax incentives for users in Japan.

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