There is some fresh new insight that we have got off the Henrik Fisker new battery technology that the automotive entrepreneur is banking on to develop the next generation of electric cars. It's graphene supercapacitors instead of the currently prevalent lithium-ion batteries that Fisker has claimed will lead to better charge density while cutting down on charging times drastically.
The cost factor:
Elaborating further, Fisker said the use of graphene in batteries has been limited due to the high cost associated with its productions. However, that is going to be a thing of the past with the invention of a new technique that will produce a kilo of it for just 10 cents. Fisker is already reported to have patented a machine that is believed to has the capacity of producing a ton of graphene at that rate.
The Noble Prize connection:
Graphene has been found to have the ability to not only recharge faster but also has greater electron mobility. That, in turn, outlined its potential use as a battery, as has been proved by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov in their research that fetched them the Noble prize in physics in 2010.
Other advantages with Graphene are that it is the thinnest and strongest material known. That it is also lighter than Li-Ion should also make the Henrik Fisker new battery technology appeal to those manufacturers who have been critical of the high weight associated with lithium-ion battery pack, Business Insider reported.
Graphene supercapacitor or the new super battery:
What made graphene supercapacitors, or supercaps great for use as a battery is that it gets charged faster. However, it didn't have enough power density though scientists have worked around that by making changes to the structure of graphene itself.
"We have solved that issue with technology we are working on. Altering the structure of the graphene has allowed them to improve the supercapacitor's energy density," said Jack Kavanaugh who right now heads Fisker Nanotech, the company that would be producing the batteries to be used by the future Fisker electric car. Gas2 claimed.
Kavanaugh had earlier been associated with Nanotech Energy, a group comprising of UCLA researchers known for their pioneering work on the graphene supercap.
The range factor
Henrik Fisker has already gone on record claiming his forthcoming electric car will be better than anything currently available, one that will have a range of more than 400 miles. That no doubt has got the Model S with its 315 miles plus range covered. Tesla achieves that range using a 100 kWh battery pack and it will be interesting to see what the corresponding figure will be for the Henrik Fisker new battery powered car.
Competition:
Fisker has stated he would be launching cars targeted at the two price extremes. So while there would be a luxurious sedan targeting the top-end Model S, there is going to be a model aimed at the mass market. Those no doubt will be aimed at the segment that the likes of the new Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe are either operating in or aim to do soon.
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