Supercapacitors

[MN Driver]

I've seen this video once before, I really get a kick out of watching the EV wheel drop down and watch the car pull away.

[jonnyvtec]

With the capacitors high power density could you not rack a small unit up like a 24V and then get a voltage converter to up to 144V? The capcitors then would be relatively safe to use with the converter providing galvanic isolation from the stored power and voltage that could hurt you?

Im convinced with a super capacitor setup they could have got a bit more space in the Insight for a 2+2 seat and dropped everything a bit lower more like the CR-Z IPU. Even underfloor there some serious space left around the twist beam aswell as the region in front of the battery behind the seats.

We were trialling a 24V BISG (stars) system with supercaps on a full hybrid prototype (300V Lithium and NiMH battery options with a in gearbox CIMG) and I liked the idea in principle although with diesels the shutdown shake was still an issue so for production its been junked for the much cheaper twin solenoid starter motor.

I do think they can have issues with EMC on discharge aswell as getting quite warm. The Valeo unit we were looking at with Maxwell 2.4V Caps was housed in an ally casing.

We also have a couple of prototypes running cylindrical NiMH Sanyo batteries that although are 'only' 5Ah they will accept charge at 100A. I need to have a nose at that when I get chance to see the assembly of the subpacks.