New supercapacitor developer Yo Engineering in Moscow writes, "Recently, modern electric cars and plug-in hybrids have been using lithium-ion cells, which have a series of significant disadvantages, such as additional CO2 emissions during manufacturing, the need for recycling after the end of their service life, the high cost of a car due to the application of expensive materials, the limited distance achieved when operating only on battery power, lengthy charging times, large mass, and the undeveloped infrastructure associated with such batteries, as well as the additional electronics necessary to maintain a charge balance (without which the battery may fail or even explode."
Taking these disadvantages into consideration, Yo-Engineering chose to use a supercapacitor in place of a battery in an electric vehicle, noting that, "A supercapacitor can withstand a million charge-discharge cycles, in comparison with lithium-ion cells that are designed for only 10,000 cycles.
Supercapacitors ensure stable operation in the -50 to +60 C temperature range, and the control system developed by our engineers is resistant to extreme climate conditions. Supercapacitors release their accumulated energy for the fast spinup of the ё-mobile's motor during dynamic acceleration (standing start, brick acceleration, overtaking). When the ё-mobile reaches the constant required speed, the supercapacitors are sufficiently charged to enable the acceleration of the ё-mobile to maximum speed. In this case, the power generated by the generator is used to maintain the motion at a constant speed. In the event of regenerative breaking, the supercapacitors are charged from traction motors. As a result of this working algorithm, a reduction in fuel consumption and hazardous emissions, as well as an increased level of performance, is observed. In addition, the required amount of stored energy is less, and the battery's mass and cost is reduced, respectively."
IDTechEx notes that supercapacitors are not just partly replacing batteries by being put across a battery that would otherwise have to be larger, they are indeed replacing batteries completely in an increasing variety of applications from Sinautec pure electric buses to back-ip for hybrid vehicle brakes and bus door opening.
IDTechEx has written a report Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors: Supercapacitors which includes the roadmap of future applications over the next ten years. It also addresses the strategies of developers and manufacturers and the experience of users, including Asymmetric Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors AEDLCs known as supercabatteries, notably the lithium-ion capacitor and the Ultrabattery TM lead acid versions.
For more attend Supercapacitors USA 2012.
