F500 Company Buys Electric Versions of Mini Cooper and Smart Car
19 November 2005
Hybrid Technologies, the maker of customized electric versions of production cars, has announced the purchase of an unspecified number of its electric versions of the Mini Cooper and Daimler Chrysler smart car by an unnamed $26-billion Fortune-500 company. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery by Q1 2006.
The purchase involves a major marketing campaign, according to the Hybrid Technologies press release. The company will outline the partnership in more detail subsequently.
The lithium-ion powered vehicles will use Kokam battery packs in the corporate vehicles as part of a joint venture and technology partnership between Hybrid Technologies and Kokam, a Korea-based global supplier of lithium-ion batteries.
The lithium Mini Cooper has a range of more than 100 miles, and can reach speeds in excess of 90 mph. The 146V, 30kW lithium-ion batery pack has a charge time of approximately 8 hours at full discharge. The cells have a cycle life of more than 1,000 charges.
The electric smart car, with a similar drive system, will have a range of 120 miles per charge at highway speeds.
What an exciting development! And so near term. Assuming a successful trial with the li-ion batteries, they won't be able to fill orders for these vehicles fast enough in three or four years' time. These would be perfect commuting cars; I can't wait to see them on the commercial market.
Posted by: Shirley E | 21 November 2005 at 05:53 AM
How much? How much? How much?
When? When? When?
Posted by: Paul Scott | 21 November 2005 at 01:44 PM
I want one!!! When can we get one in Australia????
Posted by: Brendan | 21 November 2005 at 05:29 PM
i want one? and do you think they will make the batteries rechargable while on the go, so you can virtulay drive your car car continuiosly while it recharges it self??? maybe thru the rotation of the wheels?? i have plenty of ideas on that?
this is what ive wanted to see for years ! now lets get it out now!!!thanks for the help everyone!
Posted by: bill | 09 March 2006 at 01:16 AM
Unfortunately, you can't really generate all of the power you would need to recharge the batteries from the spinning tires. That would involve building a perpetual motion machine with 100% efficiency.
You will always lose some energy through friction, and conversion between electrical and chemical energy. The closest the industry has come is regenerative braking which stores some of the kinetic enrgy of the car during braking back in the battery.
You could also put solar panels on the roof, but this too doesn't provide all of the power needed to drive indefinitely.
So until the technology gets a little better, you still have to park a while to recharge. In the meantime, I want a royal blue electric mini!
Cheers,
Dan
Posted by: Dan Yager | 07 November 2006 at 11:39 AM
hello dear,
looking for car batery to buy and want i a service frome you that is why i desided to contact you as well further more and how to go for procidience,
Posted by: ALI | 22 November 2007 at 12:44 PM