Australian researchers claim they have developed a battery that can keep a smartphone charged for five days or power an electric car for 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles). The team from Monash University in Melbourne says the lithium-sulfur battery it has created is the "world's most efficient," and can outperform traditional batteries by four times. The researchers said they are "on the brink" of commercializing the innovation, and touted its benefits for the fight against climate change. According to battery experts The Faraday Institution, the widespread use of lithium-sulfur batteries faced "major hurdles" stemming from sulfur's "insulating nature," and degradation of the metallic lithium anode before Monash Uni came along with its innovating research that reconfigured the design of sulfur cathodes so that they are able to withstand higher stress loads without seeing a drop in overall performance. It is hoped the new battery will revolutionize the Australian vehicle market and provide all Australians with a cleaner, more reliable energy as well as opening up a huge new export market.
The industry needs to settle on one type of charging station instead of providing ones that only work for one or 2 makes of car. Some folks, like me, live in condos where there is no place to charge one. 74 unit building, 94 building complex, would be a monumental project to set up charging hookups. I will keep my gas engine convertible permanently.
I saw a small video the other day which might answer the question of where to charge a Tesla. There was a broke down Tesla sitting on the side of the road and its driver was standing outside the car looking for help. Another car pulled up (the passenger did the taping) and when the “helper” asked what was wrong, the driver of the Tesla said that he needed gas. The ‘helper” was quick to inform the man that a Tesla didn’t use gas but the Tesla man still insisted that he needed gas. After thinking for a moment, the helper asked the man, “if you had some gas, where would you put it because I happen to have a gallon in the trunk of my car?” The video went on for a while with the Tesla driver showing the helper where the charging port was and the helper arguing with the guy about the need for gas since the charging port was obviously for a plug and not for fuel etc, etc, etc. Finally, the Tesla driver went around the back of the car and unlocked his trunk and pointed to a Harbor Freight looking portable generator stating that he needed the gas to start his generator so he could charge his car.
Many don't know about the power delivery difference between engine-driven and electric cars: All-electric cars, like the Tesla, have a DC drive motor directly coupled to the drive wheels, with no intervening clutch or transmission. Direct-current motors develop their maximum torque at ZERO RPM, not at several thousand RPM where the engine's maximum power occurs. This eliminates the need for a transmission to match engine speed to road speed. The DC Motor gives full torque from Zero to its maximum designed RPM. Thus, the only motor control the Tesla needs is a reversing switch to change the polarity of the battery to the motor for shifting to reverse. Yowzah!