German battery company DBM Energy last month achieved an incredible world record for battery powered locomotion by powering a converted Audi A2 electric car for a non-stop journey of 375 miles (from Munich to Berlin) at an *average* speed of 55 mph.
To say this could be a game changer is an understatement! Cue smug German video.
The secret lies in the use of ‘Alpha Polymer’ battery technology (aka Lithium Metal Polymer) which delivers a robust and extremely efficient electric power system. The technology was first used in forklift trucks in 2009 (they run for 28 hours per charge!) and provides a large set of advantages over conventional systems.
- Super lightweight, nearly four times lighter than equivalent
- Massive lifespan. Over 20 years from normal commuter type use.
- Super short charge time. With conventional charger 4.5 hours, with a ‘super charger’ you could get it down to just a few minutes!
The only downside at the moment, as you’d expect, is the price of production. Until volume is reached, the tech is likely to be expensive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4IXOxSxB7U
If the KOLIBRI battery, a lithium-ion technology? NO. The hummingbird is a lithium battery based on polymers. This type of battery is very different from the lithium-ion technology, which both construction and components is concerned. What the KOLIBRI technology makes it so unique? In contrast to conventional battery technologies is the hummingbird a pure solid cell from which neither can nor liquids gases to escape. Most modern membrane technology and a special electrolyte composition provides the excellent performance figures for the hummingbirds.