News from the Advanced Auto Battery Consortium

There were a few surprises for me at this year’s Advanced Auto Battery Consortium, held last week in Pasadena. One was how delightfully non-technical it was. Of course, I didn’t attend the real nitty-gritty lectures from the Ph.D. battery chemists from India, but the larger forum events were really quite accessible and business-focused.

The other surprise – and this is an idea I come across with some frequency – is the apparent longevity that hybrids are expected to enjoy. By one estimate I saw there, 80% of the cars sold in 2030 will be hybrids.

Now before you say “hogwash” (which was my first reaction), note that there have some magnificent developments in this space: weight reduction using new materials and improvements in internal combustion engine efficiencies – and computer-enhanced performance characteristics that use the high torque and low RPMs that come from electric motors.

We need to keep in mind, however, that the fact that hybrids make use of two motive systems makes them arguably the worst of all possible worlds. The only reason in the world to have a hybrid is the lack of inexpensive batteries and ubiquitous fast charging. When will we get there? I believe the answer is: a great deal people than people think. From what I see, technology is advancing too fast to support a prolonged lifespan of the hybrid.