For those that do/don't like LiIon packs, have you ever compared the main (reasonable) technologies in batteries? The only other one that comes close in Ah and cycle capability is A123, and those are heavier and more difficult to package, plus they (A123) have a little more "punchiness" in that they hit hard on full charge, but have an appreciable power drop partially through the discharge cycle vs. LiPo/LiIon, though it's nowhere near as bad as NiCad/NiMH cells.
I fully agree that the Tesla isn't perfect, but for the first real mainstream release of an electric "performance" car, it seems to do a good job.
I'm really curious to see what the charging structure looks like. I play a lot with Lithium Polymer packs in my radio control cars, and the charging/control for them is very, very touchy for getting maximum life. The electrical system for charging that many batteries properly (with one charging lead "tap" per cell, or at least one tap per series bank, there is a lot of complexity there). That said, properly cycled lithium polymer/ion batteries will last a LONG time with no appreciable degradation. It's all about proper charge/discharge cycles, and not exceeding the max rated amp draw on either cycle. |