brucedp5 via EV wrote:
Today's batteries have improved on size, capacity and weight since the first
EV. December 12, 2019 Joe Duarte
The changes are evident in charge times, driving range, vehicle weight and
occupant space.
Generally accurate; but there is some incorrect editorializing thrown in
(as usual). Plus, many of the conclusions are dead wrong.
The size issue dictated that the EV1 (an awkward-looking compact coupe
roughly the size of a Hyundai Veloster) could only accommodate two
occupants, once the space was used up to hold batteries and other EV
ancillaries.
I don't think that's true. "Awkward looking" is an opinion. The shape of
the EV-1 was chosen for aerodynamics; not styling. I, and many others,
think it is a beautiful car.
It accommodated 2 because it was a sports car; like a Corvette. It was
never intended as a family sedan. If you want a family EV of the same
size and time period, look at the Solectria Sunrise; a 4 passenger EV
about the size of a Toyota Camry.
The physical size of the EV-1 batteries, motor, and controller was
hardly any different than today's EVs.
The EV1’s driving range on lead-acid batteries was from about 112 km to
about 257 km. It weighed in at 1,400 kg. When the batteries were changed
over to NiMH, weight went down to 1319 kg and range was boosted to 255-370
km.
The actual EV-1 weight varied from 2200 lbs to 2922 lbs depending on
which model and battery pack it had. The higher capacity packs weighed more.
That in itself is not much different from the range of many of today’s
electric vehicles, but the time it took to charge up those batteries is very
different. The EV1 took upwards of 15 hours to charge from a standard
household outlet, and three hours on the “fast charge” connection to a
220-volt outlet. By comparison, connecting many of today’s EVs to a 110-volt
outlet will recharge lithium ion batteries of equal capacity in about 3-6
hours; a 220-volt connection would lower that to 2-3 hours and direct
current chargers would get the job done in about an hour.
No. How long it takes to charge is determined by how much power you feed
into it, *regardless* of the battery pack type or capacity.
The most you can get from a standard 120vac outlet is 1500 watts. This
can only put in 1.5 KWH per hour maximum, no matter what battery
technology is used. That's 10 hours to put in 15KWH, or 30 hours to put
in 45 KWH.
240vac charging is 2 to 4 times faster, depending on the current rating
of the AC service and the size of the charger -- not the battery pack.
There were 50KW and 100KW fast chargers for the EV-1. I know, because I
was working for the company that made the EV-1 fast magnechargers.
The ID.3’s 77-kWh battery system stores enough juice for a 550-km range, and
about a half hour of DC charging at a charging station will add roughly 290
km.
I think that is wild marketing speculation.
VW lists the ID.3 pack as 45 KWH usable capacity (not 77KWH), and range
as 200-275 km. The EV-1 had various size packs (13.6, 16.8, 19.8, or
40.95 KWH), depending on year and model. The last one is the nimh pack,
so it is essentially the same size as the 45 KWH VW pack (but 20 years
earlier). Charging times and driving ranges for the EV-1 were thus
essentially the same as the VW ID.3 -- 20 years earlier.
> The battery “floor” is made up of up to 12 battery modules of 24
> battery cells each, and the car weighs in at 1,600 kg.
It would be more correct to say the battery is made up of 12 modules of
24 cells each.
Modern EVs have been putting the batteries under the floor; that makes
the cars a foot or so taller, which worsens aerodynamics and handling.
The EV-1 put the batteries in a central tunnel, to keep the car low.
And, the compact battery cells in the ID.3 take up far less space than the
lead-acid and NiMH units in the EV1 (or even the lithium ion battery pack of
the electric Golf from 2013)
Not so. The ID.3 pack is about 6 cu.ft. The EV-1 pack was about 5.6 cu.ft.
Teslas have even larger battery packs. When the EV-1 was designed, the
emphasis was on light weight and efficiency. Today, the emphasis is on
heavy, less efficient vehicles; they get performance and range with
bigger battery packs. That's the same thing done with ICEs -- big
engines to haul around heavy vehicles.
The result is a car that can be used in much the same manner as a Volkswagen
Golf (pretty much the same size) instead of being restricted to urban
environments in moderate climate, as was the EV1 — which is really the
reason the EV1 was killed off.
I completely disagree with this. The EV-1 was a prototype, and designed
specifically for California's CARB rules and climate. It did its job
well; maybe *too* well! It proved EVs were practical when GM would
rather *not* prove that.
There is no question that a 50-state EV-2 could have been designed, with
more attention to things like creature comforts and buyer "needs" (more
seats, more cupholders, fashionable styling, better heater, etc.) The
automakers just didn't *want* to do it!
And though it is gone, it is not forgotten, remaining the pioneer that
made today’s EVs possible.
If the EV1 is not to be forgotten, then we have to keep the facts straight!
Lee Hart
--
ICEs have the same problem as lightbulbs. Why innovate and make
better ones when the current ones burn out often enough to keep
you in business? -- Hunter Cressall
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
_______________________________________________
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
