Thursday, June 26, 2008

Saving a General with a fresh set of batteries

Mish asks today whether battery technology (and electric cars) can save General Motors. I think that answers itself.

But maybe Mish is focussing on the wrong General. GE is doing really interesting things with hybrids and GM is merely hoping to come along for the ride...

One of the big problems of the Prius is that it has very limited towing capacity. The specifications are essentially none.

The other American General (Electric that is) is working on mega-hybrids - busses and would you believe tug boats. No lack of grunt there.

Not quite the profit making potential of low costs nukes (see ESBWR). But hey - mega-batteries, public transport and low cost nukes. That is an American future.

GM will try to tag itself on - the dream GM electric car will use those batteries. But the profits will belong to the other General.

1 comment:

John Hempton said...

A question for the chemists: what is the reaction in a sodium metal halide battery?

I hate posting any chemistry I don't understand. PLEASE HELP.

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