Solar-Electric Automobile in the near future?
 
Jan 11th 2005

Canadian scientists have come up with an infrared-sensitive plastic that they believe can capture up to 30 percent of the sun's power, compared to just 6 percent tapped by today's solar cells. The researchers, at the University of Toronto, say a polymer film based on the material could be painted or sprayed on to just about anything, including clothing, making any object a charger for portable devices. One researcher told the Canadian Press that the film could be woven into shirts to allow "collars or cuffs" to charge iPods.
 
 

29 March, 2005

Toshiba Corporation today announced a breakthrough in lithium-ion batteries that makes long recharge times a thing of the past. The company's new battery can recharge 80% of a battery's energy capacity in only one minute, approximately 60 times faster than the typical lithium-ion batteries in wide use today, and combines this fast recharge time with performance-boosting improvements in energy density. 
 
 
 


 
2006

Tesla motors has developed the next generation of electric car, the Tesla Roadster. This 100% electric vehicle is capable of going from 0 to 60 in about 4 seconds and has a top speed of over 130 MPH.The Tesla Roadster has a range of 250 miles per battery charge and is powered by 6,831 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, similar to the batteries used in most laptop computers.  A full recharge of the batteries takes only 3 1/2 hours. Li-Ion batteries are good for 500 charge/discharge cycles. With 250 miles of range this works out to 125,000 miles, with a conservative estimate of 100,000 miles before battery replacement. Tesla Motors even has a Solar Option that provides solar power energy for your Tesla Roadster. They can arrange installation of solar panels for your home. This pollution-free electricity is fed into the grid and directly off-sets the electricity that you use to charge your Tesla Roadster. 


 
???

Contruct a vehicle like the Tesla Roadster but use Toshiba's 2 minute charge time Lithium Ion batteries and U of Toronto's spray-on solar layer on the body. This solar-electric configuration, with it's high efficiency and very rapid charge time could allow electric vehicles to overtake combustion vehicles as the primary type of transport.


 
2007

PML develops the Hi-Pa Drive™.
An integrated motor and drive electronics in one unit.

Features:
Full regenerative braking down to very low speed
Full holding torque at zero speed
Wide speed range
Built in brake resistor (for full charge regeneration situations)