In 2009, for the first time ever, Formula 1 race cars will be fitted with systems for recuperating energy from braking. Converted to electricity, this energy will be reused during acceleration, resulting in a substantial increase in power. This new regulation will be a major breakthrough for hybrid propulsion technologies. Max Mosley, President of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and President of the patronage committee of the IAMF/EET-2008, announced during his opening address that the high demands in Formula 1 for reducing weight and improving aerodynamics require the utilization of different hybrid technologies in these unique automobiles: «The media coverage which results from these new rules will raise the public awareness that the future use of hybrid technology has become inevitable. »

Batteries for hybrid vehicles using from lead to lithium

Hybrid cars from Toyota, Honda, and Lexus are now using nickel-metal-hydrid batteries. In future years, these will be replaced with lithium batteries. For now, there are still some aspects of the lithium technology that are not satisfactory. For one thing, the cost is very high, and there are also safety concerns that the recharging system is not yet optimal and can develop excessive heat that is hard to control. It has not been determined as yet when the production of these batteries will commence. In addition, the question of whether these batteries can replace all other types has yet to be finally answered. What is known is that the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium – ALABC – has developed a lead battery integrating supercapacitors and achieved a life of more than 100,000 miles, which is being tested in a Honda Insight. The costs of this system are substantially less than those of a nickel-metal-hydrid battery.
 

« Plug-in » vehicles that are charged using public electricity networks and have a minimum range of 20 kilometers between charges will inevitably use lithium batteries in order to store sufficient energy for this performance requirement. The participants at the Forum have agreed that lithium batteries are not yet the final answer to this need. There was one exception mentioned: BYD announced that its hybrid car F3 DM can be driven for 100 kilometers using only its electric mode. This car is supposed to be commercialized in China this year.
 

« Plug-in » vehicles that are charged using public electricity networks and have a minimum range of 20 kilometers between charges will inevitably use lithium batteries in order to store sufficient energy for this performance requirement. The participants at the Forum have agreed that lithium batteries are not yet ready for this need. There was one exception mentioned: BYD announced that its hybrid car F3 DM can be driven for 100 kilometers using only its electric mode. This car is supposed to be commercialized in China this year.

The time for fuel cell automobiles coming onto the market appears to be some distance away. Some scientists are postponing introduction of this technology as much as doubts of its introduction may arise. At the same time Honda announces that it will deliver its first FCX Clarity model next June to private customers in the USA, and then in Japan. In the USA, this commercialization will be made possible as a result of the development of the Hydrogen Highway, a corridor that guarantees the replenishment of hydrogen using a network of service stations specially equipped to provide this. Honda has also developed a solution, called the Home Energy Station that will avoid the dependence on the Hydrogen Highway. These stations will convert natural gas into hydrogen, electricity, and heat. The multiple use of these energies will allow this small station to achieve a high level of energy output.

Due to the lack of success of purely electric vehicles and the progress made in the development of hybrid technologies in the 90s, few people were ready to bet on the future of electric cars. But during the conference in Geneva, two electric vehicles were announced. The announcement of the Think City, a Norwegian car, was no surprise. As a new brand it will have to deal with the set back of first having to establish a network of dealers. In contrast, Smart surprised everyone by announcing that it was developing a model powered by electricity. According to Pitt Moos, responsible for marketing at Smart, this decision was justified by a number of factors: political pressures, recent progress in the technologies of batteries, and most of all, the rapid growth of an urbanized world that favors vehicles adapted to short trips.

As uncontested the future use of electric powered vehicles was among the speakers, as much the question of sources and supplies of the electricity required remained unanswered. The fuels used today are becoming scarcer and renewable fuels are still very limited. There are also solar and geothermic energy sources that are virtually inexhaustible but are not yet economically exploitable. The pressures for further research in the area of renewable energies will increase considerably over the next years. Philipp Dietrich, of the Paul Scherrer Institute and President of the organizing committee of the IAMF, explained during his closing speech how a concept based on hydrogen produced by solar energy could function. This idea was also supported by the engineer Gérard Fatio in his presentation.

 

« The sources of energy which will power future vehicles are very diverse » summarized René Bautz, President of Gasmobil and member of the patronage committee of the IAMF, following the observations of specialists and the projections for the future made by representatives from the automobile industry. In the future, there will not be just one single mode of propulsion but many, and they will evolve in parallel. On the other hand, Mr. Bautz expects a better integration between the automobile and the optimization of the way they are used, especially in urban areas. These changes in behavior will also become an important item on the agendas of governments and other authorities.

The conferences and round tables of the IAMF and EET-2008 were attended by nearly 400 participants from 34 countries around the world. Next year, the IAMF will take place from 10th to 12th of March 2009 in the congress center of GENEVA PALEXPO and again during the Geneva International Motor Show. The focus will be put on the providing of energy for transportation in the future.

 

* e’mobile : Swiss association for electric and efficient vehicles (www.e-mobile.ch)
** AVERE : European association for electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles (www.avere.org)