Listening
to an explanation of Altairnano's new battery is one of
those experiences that makes you wish you'd paid more attention
in Science class.
At the basis of the breakthrough, if that's what it proves to be, is the
evolving field of nanotechnology. Nanotech researchers create new materials
in two ways: By reducing the size of particles to as little as a nanometer
(about 1/100,000 the width of a hair), and by arranging individual atoms
and molecules to build microscopic films, tubes and other shapes for specific
uses.
The results can seem downright strange. Among them, according to a recent
story in Consumer Reports, gold at the nano level melts at room temperature,
aluminum becomes explosive and carbon is 100 times stronger than steel.
In Altairnano's NanoSafe batteries, tiny particles of titanium dioxide
and "other
ceramic oxide materials and compounds" allow precise control of the size,
shape and purity of the components.
Senior scientist John Shelburne says the company's main advance is in the
creation of "lithium titanate spinel oxide electrode materials" to replace
the graphite electrodes in current lithium batteries.
The nanotech electrode doesn't react with the electrolytes as graphite does,
which allows faster charging, and the greater surface area of the nanoparticles
compared to those in more conventional batteries helps accelerate both charging
and discharging.
An added benefit is that the nano batteries can operate in a wide range of
temperatures.
Altairnano claims to have tested its batteries for both efficiency and safety
at temperatures from -30 degrees to 240 degrees Centigrade (minus 22 to 464
degrees Fahrenheit).
Journalists weren't
allowed to take the new electric Phoenix sport-utility vehicle
on the road, but at the Altairnano shareholders' meeting
in Reno last week, they were invited to lap the Grand Sierra
Hotel parking lot. At least under those structured and
Which is good news for the company's plan to sell it to the
public within a year.
A driver's first impression is of silence. When an electric vehicle is at rest,
unlike with a gas or diesel engine, the motor isn't running. There's no noise
at idle because there's no idle.
Step on the "gas" " a term likely to survive even if gas
engines don't "
and the Phoenix quietly whooshes off. An internal combustion engine has pistons
flying up and down, rocker arms rocking and valves opening and closing. In
an electric motor everything rotates, so there's little vibration or noise.
Electric cars are so quiet that safety experts have suggested adding noise
at low speeds, to alert pedestrians in parking lots and crosswalks.
Power delivery is notable, too. Unlike gas or diesel engines, which don't produce
full power at low rpm, electric motors have 100 percent of their torque available
from a standstill.
We sneaked in a near-full throttle start, and the hefty Phoenix simply squatted
and squirted. Acceleration felt more than adequate for freeway merging, and
top speed is reported to be near 100 mph.
Otherwise, barring a few quirks in our early model that Altairnano senior scientist
John Shelburne says will be gone before the car hits the market, it's like
driving a conventional SUV: Comfortable, quiet, roomy and fast enough. If the
company's long-term predictions match the car's short-term performance, Altairnano
may be onto something
