Electric car upgrade

[Insidious Von]

So here's a conspiracy theory.

Detroit's Big Three conspired with the CIA to set up the Iran Hostage Crisis in order to get Jimmy carter out of office. In spite of high oil prices and chronic gas shortages that occurred in the 70's, the car companies wanted no part of Jimmy Carter's energy program. This latest advancement in electric cars should have been a given by now.

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21704778-upping-volts-will-make-hybrid-cars-much-cheaper-last-48-show

 

[Promo]

I dunno. Allot of over-simplification in that article, almost to the point of being misleading.

"That is why electrical power lines work at high voltage." Not really true. POWER is the electrical measure that represents work. Power(P) = voltage(V) x current(I). The greater the current the larger the wire needs to be in order not to melt due to internal resistance. Electric power lines operate at high voltages to reduce the weight, cost and heat sag of the wire used (higher V means lower I for the same P) and to reduce internal power loss (I-squared-R).

"In the 1950s carmakers needed extra oomph of this sort to start the powerful high-compression engines then being introduced, so they increased the voltage of their vehicles’ electrical systems from six to 12. Now voltages are going up again—to 48."
You can still get plenty of "oomph" out of a 6 volt battery - it just requires a battery with low internal resistance, thicker gauge wire connecting the load and a load with lower internal resistance. The reason they went to 12V batteries is that it's cheaper and easier to get same/more POWER and 12V allowed engineers to redesign loads (i.e. starter motors) to be smaller or to increase performance without a size increase. <-- I'm simplifying a bit too, but the principals are correct.

Anyway, I guess the article is basically right, I just find the wording misleading.

Is that your conspiracy theory? LOL - I hadn't heard that one before.

I know allot of people hate Jimmy Carter and consider him one of the worst Presidents ever. Personally I liked the man. Obviously I don't know Carter personally, but IMHO he had integrity, certainly was intelligent, charitable and wanted genuinely what was best for the US. He was President at a trying time in US History and was perhaps a little too peace loving when a firmer hand was required with the Middle East. The hostage crisis killed his presidency. I hope history looks on him favourably.