I believe it's "just a certain method of manufacturing NiMH cells." Using
600 2Ah cells will give you lots of trouble. Better to use 10Ah or 13Ah
http://www.rabbittool.com/frames/NiMH2.html These guys have the largest
cylindrical NiMH cell I've seen -- 20Ah. NiMH still doesn't parallel too
well though. I could suggest a 72v Crystalyte hub motor system and you won't
have to parallel NiMH cells.
How about Li-Ion? Thundersky has a 40Ah LFP battery!
http://www.thunder-sky.com/pdf/200725164258.pdf These are relatively cheap.
18650 li-ion cells could work too.
Keep in mind a 40Ah NiMH/Li-Ion battery will actually deliver close to 40Ah
at fast discharge rates and a 40Ah Lead-acid will deliver perhaps 30.
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Drysdale" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 8:07 AM
Subject: Ni-MH cells and Chevron
> G'day all.
>
> First up, if you don't know me here, its because I don't yet have an EV
> and don't really have much to add to the discussions that go on here.
> Secondly, I am not a troll, and am building my first EV, an electric
> bicycle, and thankyou to those members that gave me assistance.
>
> Some background.....
> The battery capacity for my bicycle that I was originally aiming for was
> 40Ah. I thought Ni-MH would be a good solution as lead-acid would be
> very heavy and as it was a relatively small battery, the cost of Ni-MH
> cells would be okay.
>
> What I found was that Ni-MH was more expensive that what I expected.
> Even when I contacted an electronics wholesaler, on the recommendation
> of one of their resellers, using 600 2Ah cells to obtain 36v and 40Ah
> would cost $AU1800 ($US1540) That is for cells only.
>
> There was another bicycle battery thread here which I responded too, I
> think I gave different costings then, but this is what I have worked out
> with my most recent data.
>
> I have been researching more.
> Chevron own the rights to Ni-MH technology?
> Or just a certain method of manufacturing NiMH cells?
>
> Apparently they sued Panasonic for $30 million over an EV-95 line of
> Ni-MH cells....
> http://www.ev1.org/chevron.htm
>
> So is it true that a large entity owns the patents for Ni-MH technology,
> and as this entity has more to do with oil, "restricts" the availability
> of Ni-MH cells?
>
> FROM WEBSITE
> http://www.ev1.org/chevron.htm
> "Chevron's unit that controls the patents, *cobasys, *refuses to sell
> their version of the battery unless, they say, they get "a large OEM
> order". Apparently, they also refuse to let anyone else sell it, either"
>
> Is this why lead-acid is still the only viable technology? Even for a
> crappy bicycle?
> Is there some Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturer that builds Ni-MH cells
> free of restraint from Chevron?
> I did find a couple of companies supplying cells, my bookmarks were
> deleted with a we browser update, so I don't have their addresses :-(
> But their prices, although a little lower, were not enough to justify an
> international order, particularly once shipping was added.
>
> Is Nickel Metal Hydride cell technology restricted world-wide by a
> company that has its stakes in oil????
>
> Cheers,
> James Drysdale.
>
600 2Ah cells will give you lots of trouble. Better to use 10Ah or 13Ah
http://www.rabbittool.com/frames/NiMH2.html These guys have the largest
cylindrical NiMH cell I've seen -- 20Ah. NiMH still doesn't parallel too
well though. I could suggest a 72v Crystalyte hub motor system and you won't
have to parallel NiMH cells.
How about Li-Ion? Thundersky has a 40Ah LFP battery!
http://www.thunder-sky.com/pdf/200725164258.pdf These are relatively cheap.
18650 li-ion cells could work too.
Keep in mind a 40Ah NiMH/Li-Ion battery will actually deliver close to 40Ah
at fast discharge rates and a 40Ah Lead-acid will deliver perhaps 30.
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Drysdale" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 8:07 AM
Subject: Ni-MH cells and Chevron
> G'day all.
>
> First up, if you don't know me here, its because I don't yet have an EV
> and don't really have much to add to the discussions that go on here.
> Secondly, I am not a troll, and am building my first EV, an electric
> bicycle, and thankyou to those members that gave me assistance.
>
> Some background.....
> The battery capacity for my bicycle that I was originally aiming for was
> 40Ah. I thought Ni-MH would be a good solution as lead-acid would be
> very heavy and as it was a relatively small battery, the cost of Ni-MH
> cells would be okay.
>
> What I found was that Ni-MH was more expensive that what I expected.
> Even when I contacted an electronics wholesaler, on the recommendation
> of one of their resellers, using 600 2Ah cells to obtain 36v and 40Ah
> would cost $AU1800 ($US1540) That is for cells only.
>
> There was another bicycle battery thread here which I responded too, I
> think I gave different costings then, but this is what I have worked out
> with my most recent data.
>
> I have been researching more.
> Chevron own the rights to Ni-MH technology?
> Or just a certain method of manufacturing NiMH cells?
>
> Apparently they sued Panasonic for $30 million over an EV-95 line of
> Ni-MH cells....
> http://www.ev1.org/chevron.htm
>
> So is it true that a large entity owns the patents for Ni-MH technology,
> and as this entity has more to do with oil, "restricts" the availability
> of Ni-MH cells?
>
> FROM WEBSITE
> http://www.ev1.org/chevron.htm
> "Chevron's unit that controls the patents, *cobasys, *refuses to sell
> their version of the battery unless, they say, they get "a large OEM
> order". Apparently, they also refuse to let anyone else sell it, either"
>
> Is this why lead-acid is still the only viable technology? Even for a
> crappy bicycle?
> Is there some Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturer that builds Ni-MH cells
> free of restraint from Chevron?
> I did find a couple of companies supplying cells, my bookmarks were
> deleted with a we browser update, so I don't have their addresses :-(
> But their prices, although a little lower, were not enough to justify an
> international order, particularly once shipping was added.
>
> Is Nickel Metal Hydride cell technology restricted world-wide by a
> company that has its stakes in oil????
>
> Cheers,
> James Drysdale.
>