Phoenix EV Truck Has a Lot to Offer
by EcoGeek.org on 12.26.06
Phoenix Motorcars has been making electric vehicle news for a while now. Their first vehicle was a reproduction of a 1930's Cabriolet, but they've moved on to more functional cars in the meantime.
Using lithium ion batteries, Phoenix has developed two normal-looking, normal-sized electric vehicles that they plan on releasing sometime in 2007. Their Sport Utility Truck (room for five with a flatbed) has recently caused a stir with a claim that they're planning a version with a 250 mile range on a single charge. While that number would almost certainly go down as the batteries aged, it is still an exciting number. The 250 mile range version of the SUT won't be available for at least a year. However, Pheonix's 120 mile range vehicles will be available soon, they plan on producing at least 500 SUT's in 2007.
I hate to point out the obvious but, wow, that's not very many. No word on the sticker price, but it's going to be pretty darned expensive.
See also: ::Phoenix Motorcars: Classic and Light-Duty Electric Cars, ::Tesla Motors: Affordable Electric Cars are Coming, ::Tesla Roadster: The Electric Car that Redefines "Power" (Part 1), ::Tesla Roadster: New Power to the People (Part 2)
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Hot!
A 250 mile range would fit with an EEstor type storage device.
I can't wait to see what the Eestor capacitors will use, but this guy is gonna be all Lithium Ion. It's apparently slightly different from the lithium ion packs that are going into the Tesla Roadsters as we speak, but it's Li-ion all the same.
Phoenix is using the Altair Nanotech batteries in the SUT.
I talked to a Phoenix representative at the Alt Car Expo. Phoenix shared their booth with Altair. According to the rep the price will be $45,000.
They use Altair new revoulation LI-ION (Not exactly) that can be also recharged in up to 10 minutes with external charger.
It should be the coolest electrical car, or at least the best car shown in CEMA show.
They use a very interesting battery setup in this car almost as exciting as EESTOR's and they have a real working prototype. It's the Altairnano and it can be recharged in less than 10 minutes.
The battery is Lithium Ion, but they've removed the carbon in favor or non-reactable titanium and the result is a battery that can be overcharged with a nail driven right through the center with no risk of explosion.
The battery is just as power dense, but the energy density is roughly 55% of normal Lith Ion.
Energy density = range, Power density = speed in a rough sort of way.
The cost is still high, I've read that the SUT is going to cost $45 US, but there's some other good positives with the new battery chemistry.
The cycle life is in the high thousands compared to typical Lith-ion life of 500 cycles. The battery should last as long as the vehicle.
Price holds this back from being earth shattering, but it's still pretty close.
where can i found one and whats the price on them