Paul Killinger

Energy Storage: Chrysler - A123 Alliance Likely to Spark Interest in Sector

We'll get to see how many such units Chrysler actually sells (maybe if they're still around, that is). As of this writing they don't have a road-tested vehicle to put their new untested batteries into yet. Then there are the still the minor matters of price, utility and reliability to overcome.

We can also build an interplanetary spaceship, you know. But we may be waiting a couple hundred years to figure out how to make the damn thing fly. On the EV front, so far we have the Smarts, the Tesla, the Baker and the EV-1. We're still waiting on how to make them work in the real world, too.

Energy Storage Incentives Approved by Congress

John,

When questioned on the subject of wind energy transmission and storage devices, Boone Pickens has repeatedly stated that these problems are already manageable. Since this gentleman is anything but an "All Hat" Texan, precisely what types of devices is he referring to when he makes this statement?

Alternative Energy Storage: It's All About Price vs. Performance

John,

You write such wonderfully organized and interesting articles. You make it a pleasure to follow the development of these important new complex technologies. Thanks again for your efforts.

Having considered the various alternatives to our energy dilemma, my own experience tells me to separate these concepts into two distinct divisions, those designed to assist electric generation and those useful for transport. I believe several of the emerging companies you identify (along with nuclear breakthroughs such as the mini-reactors produced by Hyperion Power) will assist us making the former more economic in coming years.

It is also my belief that various forms of NGV's will replace the use of some considerable amounts of oil (ie. gasoline) in our transportation sector. The main reasons for this thesis are 1) we cannot afford to abandon the 250 million ICE's already in use, 2) alternative fuels we have access to are not economic or 3) environmentally acceptable, 4) we have hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of years of supplies of methanes on hand, and 5) other substitutable alternative fuels (eg. electricity) don't work very well in practice.

Since you mentioned Boone Pickens, he has already signed contracts with Swift Trucking and Wal-Mart to replace their over the road rigs (his company provides the fueling stations) with models powered by LNG. Over time, this will significantly lessen demand for diesel fuel. Moreover, NO forms of EV's are even in the game in the future of this major sector of highway commerce.

CNG fueled vehicles, light trucks and passenger cars, are a somewhat different story. However, as there are already 7 million of them on the road throughout the world, it is only a matter of time until we catch up. GM now converts some gasoline models for free to existing customers in Germany, and conversions of most makes cost $600 US in Brazil. We can't do it here at any price (legally) due to EPA "certifications" that cost equipment manufacturers $200K per model and motor, but that's simply a regulatory roadblock which will be revised one way or another.

Assuming new NGV's are included in the realm of future federal (and state) tax credits, EV's simply can't compete at any but the very highest price points. Like you, Pickens has a saying for this, "The lowest cost energy solution wins every time."