FannyBuckingham

Can Americans Save Their Economy?

1) Health care in Massachusetts has not failed. 2) American businesses cannot compete worldwide partially because they have high health insurance costs. 3) Insurance companies themselves have driven up costs. The FIRE sector is a parasite upon the real economy.

10 Things That Will Make Obama's Economic Plan Successful

What a lot of terrible ideas! This is just what got us here%

Cleantech: The Sixth Industrial Revolution

For human/hybrid electric-assist vehicle we have tried SLA (very heavy and degraded in cold weather.) You have to store the vehicle in a warm place, not an outdoor garage and parking at work or at the store is difficult. They lasted 2 years and I was not happy with the performance. The price was fine.) Next, tried NiMH (Rabbit Tool put them together in a flashlight-like device.) They were much better than the SLA and lasted for three years, though there was not much winter use. I think I abused the batteries as well. I am also working with a builder on a velomobile that will need an electric assist. Weight is not so much of an issue, so we will use SLA and try to keep them warm.
I know that one maker of electric trikes was able to get a small number of batteries from Valence at one time and I think that they worked well. I will email this post to him to see whether he will respond.
I have considered buying Dewalt tools to cannibalize the batteries to test them on my bike but I have been advised that they are too small.
For my electric assist recumbent two-wheeler I have decided to replace the NiMH batteries with more of the same based upon past performance. I had been hoping that Firefly Energy would produce something useable but I am giving up on them.
The business models of these big companies is a puzzle. Why can't A123 and Firefly and the rest of them make batteries available to the small electric bike makers? There are so many more of them in the past five years and the lack of reliable batteries - at any price, really - is very discouraging. I had been hoping that some small factories would start making them here in the US - such as Electro Energy was doing - but something has gone wrong with them.