Are
hybrid vehicles pointless without lithium?
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Where
are all the hybrids?
Recently, I asked Micky Bly, GM's global hybrid director,
if GM had an unlimited supply of NiMH batteries for its hybrid
vehicles. GM does not, nor does any other automaker.
Why?
For automobiles, NiMH batteries are already dead. In terms
of weight, performance and cost-effectiveness, the auto
industry just isn't sold on NiHM. Sadly, however, the NiHM
solution, lithium, is still 3 - 5 years away from
achieving millions of mass-produced lithium-powered
vehicles.
Why?
GM's Bob Lutz regularly speaks to the differences in the
lithium chemistries being developed by Toyota and GM. Mr.
Lutz paints GM's lithium chemistry as a less volatile
solution than Toyota's, which might be correct. Still, any
lithium chemistry is going to have the potential for some
nasty thermodynamic events.
As every automaker has stated, there is still the
potential that lithium will, ultimately, prove to be too
risky for use in automobiles.
Nonetheless, I cannot help but wonder if lithium is more
about proprietary patents, rather than the ineffectiveness
of NiMH batteries. No doubt lithium appears to offer far
greater potential than Nickel, but is the future being put
on hold simply to maximize the potential of patent-driven
profits?
Or are hybrids, ultimately, pointless without lithium
because they will never drive the kinds of profits needed
by automakers to survive?
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