Tesla Motors is exclusively an electric car maker, with
Elon Musk expressing disdain for cars like the Chevy Volt and BMW i3,
which pack gas-powered range-extenders. But Tesla may be working on a
different kind of hybrid; a hybrid battery pack that could extend the
range of cars like the Tesla Model S by up to 40%, allowing for 400
miles of driving between charges.
A report by Global Equities Research shows that Tesla recently filed patents 20130187591 and 20130181511,
which describe a combination lithium-ion and metal-air battery pack.
This hybrid battery pack would primarily use the lithium-ion side, only
drawing power from the metal-air battery pack on extended journeys.
Metal-air batteries, which use oxygen as an electrode, have a shorter
lifetime when exposed to regular charging, but use more common elements
like zinc or aluminum that drastically reduce battery costs.
Drivers would use the lithium-ion battery for daily use,
and would either select the secondary battery, or have it automatically
switch over on extended trips. A hybrid battery of this type could offer
Tesla customers greater driving ranges, while not drastically
increasing costs. There’s also mention of a mode whereby the metal-air
battery would charge the lithium-ion battery, which powers the car’s
systems. 95% of driving consist of short jaunts no more than 90 miles per day,
but the option of going 400 or more miles on a single charge could open
up the world of electric vehicles to a much wider audience.
For now though, Tesla will still rely on Panasonic for batteries, as
they have a four-year, 80,000 unit contract with the Japanese tech
giant. But going forward from there, who’s to say Tesla doesn’t deploy
ground-breaking battery technology of its own? This could be a peek at
the future, folks.Source: Benzinga
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