Energy evolution–where it’s come from and what’s the destination?
Wednesday 22 June 2011. Fleet Voice Column.
There’s a great deal of debate about what will power the cars of the future. Whether it will be more efficient use of fossil fuels, biofuel, electricity, hybrid technology, hydrogen fuel cells, natural gas or old socks, there is a parallel discussion that has not been given nearly as many column inches.
This debate centres on all of the ancillary components of a car. It’s a crucial consideration for the future of the car as none of us want to give up all of the creature comforts we’re now so used to, even if it does mean saving energy.
Air conditioning, electric windows and sunroofs, stereos and MP3 players, heated windscreens, ventilation, electric seats, central locking and all of the other gizmos we love all need energy. That energy has to come from somewhere and, so far, it’s been easily harvested from the internal combustion engine.
However, as petrol and diesel engines become more efficient, so must the systems that rely on them. So far, we’ve seen electric power steering that only draws power when it’s needed, unlike hydraulic power steering acting as a constant drain on the engine’s power.
There are also other innovations, such as stop-start and intelligent air conditioning, making small but significant steps towards a more efficient future car.
Yet, there has not been the one big step forward that technology so often experiences. Think of Moore’s Law, which says computer technology either doubles in speed or halves size every two years, and you can see it in action in the world of computers.
Mobile parallel
We’re all now completely at ease with compact laptop computers and netbooks that just a decade ago would have seemed more at home on Tomorrow’s World. It’s the same with mobile phone technology, something almost everyone in any developed part of the world cannot be without now.
Mobile phone technology is a good example for the car industry. As Steve Douglas, Programme Manager at battery technology firm Axeon, says: “For long enough, mobile phones were all about shrinking the technology to as small a size as possible. This was because the early mobile phones were too big and bulky.
“Now, we see mobile phones increasing in size again as consumers demand more functions and abilities on their phones. Using the internet, Bluetooth and the thousands of apps available all means more power is needed, so phone batteries have had to get bigger for the first time in the history of the mobile phone.”
Douglas goes on to point out the similarities of mobile phone batteries to automotive needs: “As chemistry and technology have allowed us to miniaturise mobile phone batteries, it also allows us to look at better solutions to storing energy for use in cars. The density of a battery is key – how much energy can be stored in a single battery of a particular size.
“Car drivers make huge demands on the battery of a car, which are simply not compatible with electric cars and long range usability. At present, it’s a choice between how far you can travel in an electric car and how many functions you can use.”
Fringe solution
He also comments that electric cars, which Douglas has been heavily involved in developing, can circumnavigate some of these problems with ‘pre-conditioning’. This is where the car is warmed up on a cold morning while still attached to a mains charger.
In adopting this method, Douglas says the car can be warm and ready to go yet still have a fully charged battery for the journey.
As with many others, Douglas accepts this will require a shift in driving style and the approach to motoring for many drivers. Until this happens, many will still view purely electric cars as a fringe solution to transport.
However, Steve Douglas and many others like him are upbeat about the future of the car. In 10 years’ time, the average car may not be radically different to those we drive now, but under the skin there will be big changes.
These changes will be brought about by necessity, and as we all know necessity is the mother of invention. This is also good news for the UK as we have a hugely talented pool of inventors and engineers who are just the people to take us forward.
As governments and consumers demand cars become cleaner and more fuel efficient, as well as better to drive, more comfortable and quieter, it’s the combination of small changes that will add up to the big change predicted every two years by Moore’s Law.
There are undoubtedly better ways to power windscreen wipers and electric windows, stereos and air conditioning. Some think regenerative braking can be used to recoup otherwise lost energy and store it for these auxiliary uses. Others reckon the refinement and improvement of engines, alternators and batteries will work just as well.
Here’s the really radical idea, though. Steve Douglas believes we could see our part- or pure electric cars helping to power our homes. Rather than just drawing energy from a socket, electric cars could return energy to our homes at peak price times to cut our overall household fuel bills.
Big breakthrough
It’s not a fantasy idea. Most electric vehicle users charge their cars overnight when electricity is at its cheapest. If we use our car as a mobile storage point for electricity, why not make use of that cheap electricity to reduce our home consumption in the evenings?
As with all of the best radical ideas, it soon makes a lot of sense and makes you wonder why no-one thought of it before. This is where the debate about ancillary components in cars is headed and it’s potentially the more important and fascinating debate than just what will power our cars.
After all, as soon as we have what we want to make our cars go, we soon forget about where it came from or what it is. If we go without air con on a hot day or are denied the radio when we want, this is something that will impact on our driving lives all of the time, not just when we fill up or charge up.
And like all of the most exciting areas of technology and development, we don’t know yet where the next big breakthrough will come from. One thing is guaranteed, however, and that is whatever the breakthrough is, it will make us gasp and make our lives better.
Alisdair Suttie
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