Ford chooses nickel-cadmium for "Think City" electric car
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| ROBUST Ni-CAD batteries offer high power density and long life for Ford's electric car launched in Norway in 1999. It will be available in North America in 2002. |
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Nickel magazine, Dec. 01 -- TINY ELECTRIC CARS that run on nickel-cadmium batteries are zipping around several major cities, including London, San Francisco and soon, New York, as part of a campaign to demonstrate the environmental benefits of zero-emission cars in urban centres.
Ford Motor Company launched its first "Think City" vehicle in Norway, where the car is manufactured, at the end of 1999. Now the company is testing other markets in Europe and North America by handing over the keys to urban commuters who want an emission-free car that is fun to drive, easy to park and can be plugged into a standard electrical outlet at the end of the workday.
The two-seater is powered by 19 rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery packs, each with a nominal voltage of six volts. The batteries generate about 11.5-kilowatt-hours of energy to power a 3-phase alternating current-induction motor. Both the batteries and motor are water-cooled for better performance.
The plastic car can run for 85 kilometres with a top speed of 90 km per hour before the batteries need to be recharged. It takes about eight hours to recharge a drained battery and about five hours to reach an 80% charge at 220 volts -- the standard domestic voltage in Europe.
Ford chose nickel-cadmium batteries, manufactured by SAFT, for their power density (for acceleration), long life (six to eight years or 100,000 kilometres) and robustness, says David Fabricatore, special project and service co-ordinator for Think Mobility, a division of Ford.
An added advantage is that the batteries and thermoplastic body panel can be 100% recycled in a SAFT factory at the end of their useful life. Under an agreement between the two companies, the nickel-cadmium battery packs will be collected by Ford and recycled by SAFT. When the customer needs a new battery, the spent battery will be removed at the closest Ford dealership. Ford will then transport the battery to one of several collection points in Europe and the United States, such as the Inmetco recycling facility in Pennsylvania. Once the battery cases are dismantled, the electrodes will be removed for recycling. The remaining plates will then be treated to extract the cadmium and other materials. SAFT will re-use the cadmium to produce new electrodes and the ferronickel residue to produce stainless or special steels. In 1999, SAFT collected and processed 330 tonnes of nickel-cadmium batteries in France alone.
The batteries measure 950 by 770 by 290 millimetres, including cables and hoses, and weigh a total of 240 kilograms. The car weighs 943 kilograms.
In London, Ford just launched an 18-month pilot project to study the use of electric vehicles in urban environments. Companies such as the British Brodcasting Corporation and some charitable organizations are using the Think City vehicles, and a participating energy provider has agreed to replace the electricity consumed by the cars with power generated by renewable energy sources, such as wind power.
A similar program in New York City will promote not only the environmental benefits but also national energy independence, since the production of electricity relies mostly on domestic fuel sources. Ford will lease a fleet of 100 cars to commuters in New York suburbs for US$199 per month. The participants will drive to the nearest train station, leave their car for recharging and hop on the train, then pick up the car at the end of the day for the drive home. Used this way, the Think City contributes to an all-electric commute.
Next year, Think City vehicles sporting a US$25,000 price tag will be available at Ford dealerships across North America. The car manufacturer is also marketing battery-powered bicycles and golf carts.
SAFT says more than 8,000 vehicles powered by its batteries are currently on the road worldwide.
Photo: FORD
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David Fabricatore |
