This development is not new, but very few people know about this. M

180 mpg: Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Powered by Valence Battery

Valence Press Release about EnergyCS version of PRIUS+
Mar 29, 2005 (From the CalCars-News archive)

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Valence is the battery supplier for EnergyCS, CalCars' Southern California
partner for development of PRIUS+

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Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Powered by Valence Battery Unveiled at EVS 21
Tuesday March 29, 9:30 am ET
New Concept Car Developed With EnergyCS Offers Dramatically Better Gas
Mileage and More Zero Emission Driving Than Existing Hybrids

MONACO & AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2005-- At the 21st
Worldwide International Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
Symposium & Exhibition (EVS 21) being held next week, Valence Technology
Inc. (Nasdaq:VLNC - News), a leader in the development of large-format
Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, and EnergyCS, developers of integration
control systems, will showcase a new concept plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

Powered by the Valence U-Charge(TM) Power System, the plug-in hybrid
electric vehicle (PHEV) is a fully functional concept car based on a 2004
Toyota Prius. Because the Valence battery offers much more energy than
batteries traditionally used in hybrid vehicles, it allows significant
amounts of zero-emission driving with the concept PHEV. With a fuel
efficiency that can reach up to 180 miles per gallon for an average commute
of 50-60 miles per day, the PHEV has superior gas mileage, which means
fewer trips to the gas station. Using the U-Charge system, the PHEV offers
the best of both worlds: zero-emission electric mode (up to 33 mi/h, 53
km/h) and an efficient gas motor for long trips.

Valence will exhibit in EVS 21 Booth C128 and the Valence-EnergyCS PHEV
will be on display at the Ride and Drive area throughout the EVS 21 show.
The vehicle will also be part of the Rallye Monte-Carlo Fuel Cell & Hybrid
on April 2.

"Valence's phosphate-based Lithium-ion batteries have substantially higher
energy density than competing batteries for hybrid electric vehicles. And,
unlike other types of Lithium-ion batteries, our Saphion technology offers
the longevity and safety needed for both hybrid and pure electric
vehicles," said Stephan Godevais, president and CEO of Valence Technology.
"The Valence-EnergyCS plug-in hybrid vehicle is a breakthrough in the
industry. It allows renewable energy to displace gasoline, reducing our
reliance on fossil fuels, which is increasingly important given today's
environment and economic concerns."

The U-Charge battery system used in the Valence-EnergyCS PHEV is based on
Valence's Saphion® technology, the only one like it on the market today. It
replaces toxic heavy metals with phosphates, creating an energy storage
battery that is chemically more stable, and therefore safer, than
traditional oxide-based Lithium-ion batteries. Saphion technology's
chemistry yields a battery that is not only environmentally friendly, but
requires virtually no maintenance and offers long life and low total cost
of ownership.

CalCars News > Valence Press Release about EnergyCS version of PRIUS

I want to bump this article up to new posts again. The more I think about a vehicle in 2005 getting 180 miles per gallon and not seeing anything on the market in 2008 makes me angry.

This is precisely the problem with innovation. All of those millions of dollas going to grossly oveirndulge the billionaire oil corporations need to be stopped. That is simply an extra little butt kiss from the Republican legislators that have prostituted themselves out to big oil.

What we need is JUMP START money. In short, you see something like this and you have funding sources to get it into full production ASAP.

I think we're past the time to leave innovations and advancements in engine tech and gas mileage to the "magic of the market". There hasn't been a significant bump on overall gas effeciency for decades, and I can't believe that with new ceramics, and whatnot, that this is just so bloody difficult.

If the government really has our interests at heart, it needs to mandate 50 mpg in 2010 or the vehicle simply doesn't get on the road, then increase that 10 mpg every ten years. I am not into wussy measures in a crisis.

Seriously, the amount of pushback and whining we get from the auto (oil) industry, you'd think we were asking them to slay their own children or something. It's time for some real pressure.

__________________
"All those in favor of referring a study of leadership feasibility to the political viability subcommittee to consider forming a task group, signify by saying aye!" -- Congress

I know of a professor at UCLA that came up with a braking mechanism that built up hydrolic pressure that was then used to boost fuel efficiency. I know of a team at MIT that came up with a cogeneration system that would run everything but the engine from the heat produced by the engine. These innovations are ready to go for all vehicles and would probably result in a 10 mpg boost.

The government needs to get much more aggressive. Think of a cattle prod on the butts of the cattle to get them moving.

Just be careful, My mom once confused a horse for a cow. I was riding the horse (at 5 years old) and the horse wouldn't move, so she (being used to cows and their laziness), gave the horse a wack on the butt, and it took off with me on top. She wanted just to get it going, but it took off and put me in danger.

Moral of the story, don't over do it.


edit: #5,000

__________________
Set your destination with your heart, get there with your mind.

"The wisest men follow their own direction." - Euripides

We may all BE riding cows and horses, if we don't get serious!

Here's the way I see it. Cars have been around for 100 years. If we had increased fuel economy 1o mpg every ten years, we'd now have cars that get something over 100 mpg! Woot!

I'll even give ya a break, and halve that. So, a mere 5 mpg increase would give us over 50 mpg cars. Still woot!

So, we have some catching up to do methinks. 10 mpg every ten years isn't unreasonable at all, tech-wise. It could be something as simple as a new spark plug design, or a new lightweight ceramic. We've waited for the market to take care of this. Even had a gas crisis before. We still hover in the 20-25 mpg range. Unacceptable.


Nice!

__________________
"All those in favor of referring a study of leadership feasibility to the political viability subcommittee to consider forming a task group, signify by saying aye!" -- Congress

Woot! I am going to get outraged at this because it is a clear indication that the sociopathic slob energy corporations are keeping viable alternatives off of the market. And that has all been due to their prostitutes in Congress (Bush Republicans) are insisting that billionaire corps like ExxonMobile get SUBSIDIES. And if those same subsidies were in place to jump start an alternative like this one back in 2005, we might have a real alternative to the gas crisis now in 2008.

The problem is we can do it NOW! But as Michael has pointed out there are road blocks. From the govt. and their regs., the oil big wigs and the auto manufactures them selfs.
The citizens own land that has plenty of oil under it. But the lobbyist for every group that supports wildlife over human needs and sponsored by the wealthy plus the govt., again! So we get a national average of $4.00+ a gallon of gas and the shareholders are happy! And the auto people still build within govt. limits so don't expect much change on MPG to soon. What is on the sticker of each PU truck isn't what your going to see in reality!

__________________
Yea can't keep the words of your great leader.

Prophet Muhammad - “Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.”

180 mpg is a big WOOT!

It feels like the only way we are going to see that type of advantage in mpg put on the market is consumer organizations where people form clubs around a vehicle like this and spreads the word.

Congress needs to investigate, and that really means twist arms hard until we get the story why we have breakthrough technology and it isn't reaching the market.

I am not sold that these cars are the answer for they still rely heavily on oil. Not just in petrol but for the all the plastics these cars will need. Then, there is the disposal of batteries and the acids that make up batteries. They are a difficult waste.