Graham Hill Solves The Problem With Electric Cars
Sunday, 28. August 2011
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Over the weekend I worked out how to download a video on You Tube onto a memory stick then take the memory stick and plug it into a USB port in the back of my new LG TV then watch the video, and jolly good it was too! I am told, by the instruction book, that’s the thing we never read until we’ve tried every which way to use the facility then turn to in desperation, that with the right items bought from Tandy (or whatever they call themselves these days) I can actually send the video from my computer to my TV by Bluetooth.
How amazing is that? So I shouldn’t have been so surprised that American car making phoenix General Motors has linked in with LG in the development of their new electric cars.
At first it sounded as dopey as an ex Spice Girl helping Land Rover develop a new 4WD car but as deliveries of the Posh Spice ‘developed’ Evoque are now looking at spring next year, even before the launch date, maybe it’s me losing touch or do you get to a certain age when you are obliged to get a bit grumpy and look for fault in everything?
Anyway, looking at the new relationship between GM and LG I would hope that they can solve the problem of the incredibly over priced batteries and incredibly short range on one full tank of electricity. Apparently the new LG technology will find its way into the Chevrolet Volt and the European Opel Ampera.
Both cars have a titchy petrol engine in case of an emergency, like some hybrid cars at the moment. With LG working with GM they will have a greater opportunity to develop auxiliary power units to function when the fuel tank empties of electricity and heat exchangers to help top up the batteries during braking etc.
I still think that maybe I should have patented the idea of ‘stop n swap’ battery centres where the old battery pack (or part of) is removed and a new, fully charged, one slotted in and off you go.
If the batteries are simply leased you don’t have to pay each time you go into the centre and if the battery is only half discharged it doesn’t matter because the centre will only take half the time to re-charge.
An arrangement with one of the major roadside assistance companies could ensure that they have vehicles that could come out in the case of an emergency and swap over the batteries on the roadside and allow drivers who run out of electricity to get home.
Of course this would mean that all manufacturers standardise on their batteries, which would be a good idea for drivers with potential cost savings but might cause problems between manufacturers.
Let’s see if my amazing idea ever gets off the ground. What do you think, is it a good idea? By Graham Hill
