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Nissan gives preview of prized electric car

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The new lithium-ion batteries have 10 times the capacity of those now used in hybrid electric vehicles, such as Toyota Prius. This is a great leap in battery technology. Now, If they could solve the alternator technology for the battery engine, by possibly using efficient dual wind fan inside the front hood or solar panel to charge the battery while moving or parked, This could improve vehilce range without end of the day charger plugs. If the vehicle is moving, the fan will move, regardless of the weather, and will contiously charge the battery and store efficiently. You can possibly have unlimited range.

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Thanks kodaiflow. I think!

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Knews,

I don't know if I am that much of an expert but a superheated coal plant with HP/LP turbines runs at about 40% efficiency. More if they have a tri-gen system to scavenge waste heat.

The motor runs at 90% and you have a transmission loss of maybe 10% That gives you combined thermal efficiency of 32%

A normal gasoline engine can get about 18% mechanical conversion. Refining losses are about 68% (it takes energy to crack crude into gasoline). The distribution energy to get the fuel to your station is another 10% loss. That leaves a hybrid at 11% thermal efficiency.

That doesn't say anything about the heavy metal and other emmisions from the coal plant, but CO2 wise, its almost a three fold drop.

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The only rather large problem that Nissan is cleverly avoiding is where all the electric power come from to charge these new cars. Oh, power stations fuelled by coal or nuclear power! So zero emissions from the cars themselves, but a lot more emissions from the power stations. Any experts out there care to tell us if that is actually better or not?

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But what would happen if I got stuck in a summer traffic jam with the air-con on full blast.. Apart from that, I want one now!

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I hope this car works out, as I really want to buy one.

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Which scandinavian country do they import all the materials to manufacture this car in Japan, and then ship it back out to the rest of the world? Yeah thats saving a ton of CO2.

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Gasoline prices can be expected to go only one way, north!! Nissan has recognized the need for a dirt cheap transportation and the need of growing number of people who are environmental and responsible towards future generations. 160km range is at least decent and good enough for a normal, everyday city driving (which drains our money for gasoline more than anything else). I believe nissan will be able to upgrade the range to 250km or 400km over time. Nissan, if you put on some nice solar panels on the roof of this car that would extend range a bit more (but also would make the car more expensive), so put it as an option for an extra range extension :) Exciting future for the car industry with nissan being one of the leaders in EV technology :)

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Well, good luck, Nissan. It would seem that most of your potential customers in the US, particularly in the state of Tennessee, are digging into their shrinking savings to buy handguns and assault rifles.

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