One of the biggest problems with battery-powered EVs is the weight of the batteries. It's obviously a problem for handling and efficiency to be hauling an extra half a tonne around, but it's also indirectly applicable to the biggest issue with battery-powered EVs - charge time. A lithium titanate battery pack suitable for an EV could be charged in a few minutes, but it would require a supply in the region of 750KW and that's a big problem.
A possible solution is to exchange batteries at a station, so you could drive off with a charged battery while your discharged battery is charging in the station from a standard industrial supply. In that case, it doesn't matter if the charge time is a few hours because the driver doesn't have to wait for it.
This is completely impractical at present because of the weight of the batteries. ~400Kg is far to much to be swapped quickly and easily.
The target for this new type of battery is a charge to weight ratio ten times higher than for lithium ion batteries. Researchers have working prototypes and consider the target attainable. That would reduce the weight down to ~40Kg, which would make the battery swapping station idea practical.
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PressReleases/oxlithbattery.htm
A possible solution is to exchange batteries at a station, so you could drive off with a charged battery while your discharged battery is charging in the station from a standard industrial supply. In that case, it doesn't matter if the charge time is a few hours because the driver doesn't have to wait for it.
This is completely impractical at present because of the weight of the batteries. ~400Kg is far to much to be swapped quickly and easily.
The target for this new type of battery is a charge to weight ratio ten times higher than for lithium ion batteries. Researchers have working prototypes and consider the target attainable. That would reduce the weight down to ~40Kg, which would make the battery swapping station idea practical.
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PressReleases/oxlithbattery.htm