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| Nanocomposite Magnets May Reduce Dependency on Rare Earth Elements Posted: 28 Jan 2011 12:18 PM PST
This could be important for the development of electric cars, which rely on rare earth elements for their powerful electric motors. China has been messing with exports of rare earth elements, making supplies harder to come by and thus more costly. But nanocomposite magnets use nanoparticiles of elements like neodymium, using fewer rare earth elements but also creating a more powerful magnetic field, basically making less out of more. Since nanocomposites boast better magnetic force to weight ratios, new devices, such as electric motors and turbines, can be equipped with lighter magnets, thus reducing their size and weight. This could increase the device’s performance while also reducing manufacturing costs, making mass production much easier. Toyota is working on new types of electric motors to reduce their dependency on rare earth elements, but they aren't the only ones. Currently researchers for GE working on a Department of Energy-funded project are trying to reduce the amounts of rare-earth metals that conventional magnets require, due to the fear of the demand of these rare-earth metals exceeding current supply. The main exporter of such metals, China, has been reducing exports, limiting the global supply of the rare materials at a time when need is on the rise. This is where the nanocomposite technology comes into play. Researchers are using a technique called “coupling” to create these materials, which reduces the amount of rare-earth metals in the magnets while implementing other composite materials to improve magnetic properties. The question is though, will these new magnets get here in time, or will China's stranglehold on rare earth elements let it take the lead in the electric vehicle race? Source: Technology Review
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| 20% of Buyers Consider Electric Cars, Home Charging Cost an Issue Posted: 28 Jan 2011 10:21 AM PST
Home charging is important to the acceptance of EV's, but there are ways to get around this sticking pint. There isn't a gas station in your house, is there? But you still drive a car. So we should build charging stations for these vehicles where drivers leave their vehicles for extended periods of time, such as train stations. Malls, offices, and shopping centers can also provide easily accessible places to charge one’s EV, though the premium cost of electricity during business hours may give people a second thought about installing that home charging station. These vehicles will evolve over time — just like everything else – and as buyers we just can’t expect the technology to mature over night. Sometimes it can be hard to look at the big picture, financially and environmentally, but in the long run we will find out way. Source: AutoBlogGreen via IBM
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According to a study by IBM, 20% of drivers are willing to consider a new electric car next time they're in the market for an automobile. 30% of drivers said that they are willing to switch to EV’s that got 100 miles or less per charge, as many currently do. Yet some drivers are still hesitant on choosing to go electric. Why? Apparently the buck stops at home charging. While EV’s save drivers on gasoline expenses, choosing to go electric also means having to equip one’s home with the appropriate charging outlet. The cost to install such a system generally runs from $1,000 to $2,000, on top of the extra cost of an electric car. When faced with this reality, only 13% of the interviewees said they would spend more than $1,000 to have a home charging station. Also, if lots of electric cars start plugging in over night, the lower electricity rates for night use may disappear as utilities reconsider their options.| You are subscribed to email updates from Gas 2.0 To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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