(no subject)

[arethinn]

Ultracapacitor can power a car for 500 miles on a single charge

According to the post, the companies involved plan to have the cars in production by 2008.

Comments

[bluegodjanus.livejournal.com]

With such a great car, what reason would I have to walk 500 miles?

[frameacloud]

I misread that as "Utahraptor."

I was confused, since Earth's stock of Utahraptors is all sold out, so they wouldn't really solve any transportation problems.

[arethinn]

*giggles*

Is this a Dinosaur Comics reference as well as an amusing misreading?

[frameacloud]

Perhaps!

[windtree.livejournal.com]

The math I saw for these was insane though - you need lethal current and/or voltage to charge them in any reasonable time, and a significant number of them would result in a need for a lot more power plants (which given the current state of affairs would likely be highly polluting coal plants. :( ).

If they actually happen I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[arethinn]

Woo lethal current! ;)

a significant number of them would result in a need for a lot more power plants (which given the current state of affairs would likely be highly polluting coal plants

Depends where you are; in the western US natural gas and hydro-electric are both fairly common. (Not that gas is a lot superior to coal.) Hydro-electric ditto here in Ontario (hence the electric service being called the "hydro"). Where you are, tho, yes, likely coal. Nuclear even in some places (ew!), although I think (hope?) that's getting less popular.

[windtree.livejournal.com]

Nuclear even in some places (ew!),

Despite growing up between a nuclear power station and the UK reprocessing plant, I don't have a strong aversion to nuclear power.

At least in the US, the main source of uranium fallout is coal power plants (as the coal burned often has trace amounts of uranium in it - not enough to mine but it adds up when you're burning tons of the stuff). So I'd rather have nuclear than coal.

[arethinn]

I also gotta wonder about the possibilities of a major accident. Could the capacitor discharge by being suddenly broken and grounded? Could this cause injuries in itself that might harm an otherwise ok-to-walk-away driver or passenger? Being electrocuted in a car accident could be a new one.

[windtree.livejournal.com]

I've no idea what the crash effects would be om these things, but it seems likely they would have to protect against discharge in an accident. I know there's already training for emergency teams when dealing with hybrids because of the risk of electrocution if they put a cutter through some of the power lines.

The numbers I saw for charging the things were such that a five minute charge time (which someone was claiming these things could have) would have sufficient voltage to arc through the air without a problem. Personally I'd be more worried about that one.