Electric Commodores

[kleanphil]

I remember there was a lot of talk about that in the early days of EVs. The problem is that EV companies would have to agree to a standard battery design otherwise battery swap places would have to keep many different batteries for different manufacturers.

Companies don’t want to standardise as they can’t lock in their profits on a standardised product because anyone can make it to that standard. They all want proprietary products that only they can sell.

Yes this is true but its early days. Hopefully governments wake up early and force compliance such as Apple converting to USB-C to save on phone charger waist.
EDIT: Maybe not using all the same battery but at least creating a standard where the battery is repairable/exchangeable

 

[chrisp]

Yes this is true but its early days. Hopefully governments wake up early and force compliance such as Apple converting to USB-C to save on phone charger waist.
EDIT: Maybe not using all the same battery but at least creating a standard where the battery is repairable/exchangeable

My observation is that companies start out doing things in a proprietary way, but eventually like to standardise things to mitigate their individual (company) risk. Set up a standards committee, and get them to publish a standard and that becomes the ‘best practice’. All hell can break loose after that and legally all the companies are shielded from litigation as they followed the ‘best practice’ at that time.

Standardisation seems to happen at a snail’s pace. Firstly, the charging connector (and protocol it uses) will become standardised but it might be several different standards (remember VHS vs Betamax, compact cassette vs 8-track, Compact flash vs SD…). Eventually one standard seems to win out.

I suspect that battery packs might also be standardised, or at least, the ‘format’ of the cells used within the pack will become standardised to allow an aftermarket rebuilding or reconditioning industry to develop.

There was a company (called Better Place) that did try to set up a standard battery pack for EVs and had rapid change stations that could swap a battery pack in minutes. The idea was to allow battery changing a bit like swapping a LPG gas bottle. They also proposed a rental scheme for the batteries - which also had the advantage of reducing the upfront cost of EVs. Essentially you’d buy the car (sans battery) and purchase a rental plan with Better Place.

Better Place went in to receivership during one of the numerous ebbs and tides of the ICE to EV transition cycles.

 

[J_D 2.0]

Yes this is true but its early days. Hopefully governments wake up early and force compliance such as Apple converting to USB-C to save on phone charger waist.
EDIT: Maybe not using all the same battery but at least creating a standard where the battery is repairable/exchangeable

If standardisation happens it will be because of the Europeans. The EU is the only jurisdiction that has the balls (or isn’t corrupt af) to actually stand up to multinationals and tell them what to do.

 

[J_D 2.0]

My observation is that companies start out doing things in a proprietary way, but eventually like to standardise things to mitigate their individual (company) risk. Set up a standards committee, and get them to publish a standard and that becomes the ‘best practice’. All hell can break loose after that and legally all the companies are shielded from litigation as they followed the ‘best practice’ at that time.

Standardisation seems to happen at a snail’s pace. Firstly, the charging connector (and protocol it uses) will become standardised but it might be several different standards (remember VHS vs Betamax, compact cassette vs 8-track, Compact flash vs SD…). Eventually one standard seems to win out.

I suspect that battery packs might also be standardised, or at least, the ‘format’ of the cells used within the pack will become standardised to allow an aftermarket rebuilding or reconditioning industry to develop.

There was a company (called Better Place) that did try to set up a standard battery pack for EVs and had rapid change stations that could swap a battery pack in minutes. The idea was to allow battery changing a bit like swapping a LPG gas bottle. They also proposed a rental scheme for the batteries - which also had the advantage of reducing the upfront cost of EVs. Essentially you’d buy the car (sans battery) and purchase a rental plan with Better Place.

Better Place went in to receivership during one of the numerous ebbs and tides of the ICE to EV transition cycles.

Standardisation only happens if it’s A) enforced by government or B) fought out in the gladiators arena and winner takes all. Companies don’t voluntarily get together and agree on a standard unless there’s coercion involved (economic or legal).

It’s not in their economic interests to agree on standardisation. Apple had to be dragged kicking and screaming to comply with the USB-C regulations and are still doing shitfuckery over it by limiting data transfer speeds over non-Apple USB-C cords to force users to buy their cords as data transfer isn’t regulated under the EU standard.

 

[Commo64]

I made the battery pack for the ECOmodore (and also the aXcess hybrid car)! That’s all a very long time ago! Both vehicles used much the same core design but looked very different.

That's pretty cool to be part of a project like that... It's ashame that GM didn't invest more money into a potential EV made by Holden...

BTW, I realise this post I''m replying to is over a year old

 

[Commo64]

I had no idea these existed. I did know of a guy who converted his Commodore to electric.

There was also a VE Calais that was made into an EV:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...o7QBegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw2xs7y9iTgb2sRBUTXe4Kmm

 

[Skylarking]

There was also a VE Calais that was made into an EV:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...o7QBegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw2xs7y9iTgb2sRBUTXe4Kmm

Road Vehicle Descriptor (RVD1)

rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au

EV Commodore; 1914kg, 145kw…

 

[Mickcc]

There is a Chinese car manufacturer that have developed there ev's to have swappable/repairable/upgradable battery's swapped out at battery stations in a relatively short time or charged at home. Nio Electric Cars This seems a far more sensible idea

Great idea If they made these batteries packs to be removed by just pull it out and
just like swap and go for gas bottles all charged up
just push the charged one in and away you go

just like these Sci Fi movies with the power packs in their Space ships

but all Electric Cars would need the same Battery Packs

 

[kleanphil]

Great idea If they made these batteries packs to be removed by just pull it out and
just like swap and go for gas bottles all charged up
just push the charged one in and away you go

just like these Sci Fi movies with the power packs in their Space ships

but all Electric Cars would need the same Battery Packs

This is exactly how Nio battery pack works. I dont think they all need to use the same battery packs as i recon this would stifle innovation and development of battery packs and restrict vehicle design. i can't see why you couldn't have a battery station that deals with all types of battery packs. Just like Tesla now allow other brands to use there supercharging infrastructure

 

[Commo64]

http://[URL]http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/perl/43825_972169_RVD_22Mar2012103021.cmd

[/URL]

EV Commodore; 1914kg, 145kw…

Remember that this is a prototype made in the days when EV's were just about to take off, made by a 3rd party company so there was lots of room for improvement there...