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Hello David
Small world I am an OSU solar car sponsor. Here is our link.
My business refinished the car and supplied the A123 batteries. A123
batteries are LiFePo4 and do not have as high of energy density as the OSU solar
team wanted. So for the next years race they planned to use a non safe
lithium chemistry. I warned them that the risks were very great of starting
a fire that can not be put out. Sadly the solar car was destroyed and the driver
got out burned badly but just in the nick of time.
So to be clear this OSU solar car was not using A123 cells or LiFePo4 when
the pack caught on fire.
By the way I have never sold A123 cells but at the time I did have 6000
cells so I loaned them as many as they needed. This was in the solar car in the
race the year before the fire.
The LifePo4 chemistry is extremely safe. If you over charge them the only
thing you will do is destroy them. If you vastly over charge them the cells will
just expand and come apart but no fire.
I have been following the development of LiFePo4 for years. At first the
good cells like the A123 were too expensive and the lower cost
cells had quality issues. Over the years the gap has closed and now
LiFePo4 is far more cost effective then lead. In the last few months I have
started selling CALB cells as I feel they are the best buy on the
market. There is very little markup and I have not even covered my cost
but I have moved a lot of cells.
Anyway we just refinished the new OSU solar car. The good news is A123
heard about their fire and is now sponsoring them with safe
LiFePo4 batteries.
My business is collision repair and in the same location for 27 years.
I have been driving an EV for almost 100 percent of my driving for the last
8 years and have over 100,000 miles. As soon as the new J1772 charging stations
came out I put one at our business where others can charge 365 days a year at no
charge. My goal is to help others drive electric. I am not motivated by
profit but to help reduce our dependence on imported oil.
Don Blazer
In a message dated 7/15/2012 4:42:09 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
etpost drmm net writes:
Lithium: I am far from an expert here, but from what I hear, overcharging |