The weak link in electric car technology is the battery. Now German company DBM has developed a battery with 97 percent efficiency and a jaw-dropping, ultra-fast recharge time of merely 6 minutes. The battery also provides enough juice to power a vehicle at a speed of 55mph for 375 miles. That would enable a motorist to take a drive up the coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco--a six-hour trip for a 6-minute charge up.

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The prototype Audi A2. (Photo: Audi)

Is this the breakthrough in electric car technology that engineers have been struggling to achieve for decades?

The answer is a definite maybe .

The problem of 'range anxiety'

The weak link in electric car technology is the battery. The sad fact is that battery technology hasn't been able to keep up with the dreams of automotive engineers. Despite the Wundercars that do make it into production--such as those that are flying off the drawing boards at Tesla Motors--the autos are impractical, very expensive and have a limited range. The best of them so far can only travel a paltry 100 miles.

Distance restrictions have been dubbed "range anxiety."

Now, however, a dramatic breakthrough seems to have been achieved greatly increasing the range of electric vehicles..

DBM Energy's great leap forward

DBM Energy, a German company, has revealed a revolutionary prototype battery technology that's achieved a quantum leap forward.

Working with funds raised by a joint venture between the giant German electric utility company Lekker Energie and the German Economic Ministry, the innovative battery breaks new ground. According to DBM, their battery's efficiency is 97 percent and has a jaw-dropping, ultra-fast recharge time of merely 6 minutes.

The battery also provides enough juice to power a vehicle at a speed of 55mph for 375 miles. That would enable a motorist to take a drive up the coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco--a six-hour trip for a 6-minute charge up.

Working with Audi, the battery powerpack was adopted to create the A2 prototype vehicle. This vehicle represents the biggest advance in electric automotive technology ever.

Leaves Daihatsu in the dust

While automotive experts point out that the Japanese car maker, Daihatsu, modified a micro car in their quest to achieve a long distance record, the car had its limitations. Although the Japanese prototype attained a whopping 623 miles, the car only traveled 27mph, had one seat barely large enough for a child, and most of its space was taken up by batteries crammed everywhere.

Unlike the Japanese prototype, the modified Audi A2 doubles the Daihatsu's speed, has four adult-sized seats, and still delivers a range approaching an eye-popping 400 miles.

Mirko Hannemann, the CEO of DBM Energy, demonstrated the amazing capability of the electric A2. He toured the German countryside in the vehicle for about 7 hours--stopping off at towns and villages between Munich and Berlin.

Upon returning to his company's headquarters, a throng of reporters waited to interview him about the historic ride.

Hannemann jokingly offered to charge their cellphones with the electricity that remained in the A2's battery pack.

If DBM Energy's new battery technology is as good as it seems then "Green" technology has become more viable and electric vehicles will not be constrained to the purgatory of glorified golf cart-sized micro-cars suitable for short grocery runs in high density urban areas.

Zoom-zoom.

Original Helium.com article.

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Copyright AYM Communications. 2010

Authors Bio:
TAKING AYM

Once during a radio interview, Terrence Aym was asked what motivated him to write. He responded that he writes for two primary reasons: the first is to entertain and inform his readers; the second, writing gives him personal pleasure.

Aym tends towards a heterogeneous style. His goal's often to gather diverse elements or subjects and - using them like a catalyst - create a synergy between them. He believes this approach offers the reader a stimulating new perspective on both older news and breaking news.

Aym has been a guest on US radio stations as well as the featured guest on a premier South African radio show. His articles have been discussed on television and debated on nationwide radio shows such as Coast to Coast AM.

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© Copyright AYM Communications. 2010