Is 'battery' getting in the way of battery things ?

[Gomev]

Just musing following reading another thread on here re Sodium batteries. The word battery conjures up images in my mind of torches being stuffed with Ever Ready D batteries (is it D ?), remote controls that last a year, buying rechargeable AA batteries that last 10 minutes when used with anything etc etc..
Is this part of the trepidation that some feel towards BEVs and such, conjuring up images of a thousand AA batteries stuffed in the car under your bum.
We know it's different in reality of course but maybe perception is part of the solution, how about a different name for battery to describe energy storage, after all we use the term power bank, not battery, for portable mobile charging etc.
Just passing the time pondering on the meaning of life and everything else.............

 

[Bam Bam]

Just musing following reading another thread on here re Sodium batteries. The word battery conjures up images in my mind of torches being stuffed with Ever Ready D batteries (is it D ?), remote controls that last a year, buying rechargeable AA batteries that last 10 minutes when used with anything etc etc..
Is this part of the trepidation that some feel towards BEVs and such, conjuring up images of a thousand AA batteries stuffed in the car under your bum.
We know it's different in reality of course but maybe perception is part of the solution, how about a different name for battery to describe energy storage, after all we use the term power bank, not battery, for portable mobile charging etc.
Just passing the time pondering on the meaning of life and everything else.............

Is this prompted by the Julia Louis-Dreyfus spoof video with the AA batteries?

I guess at different levels you've got cells, modules and packs.

I think MGs are a bit like AA batteries aren't they, with lots of cylinders? Different to AA in that they have cooling fluid running through them. Some EVs have prismatic cells but my understanding is that they tend to expand and contract and aren't as reliable.

Based on conversations I've had, the (lack of) longevity of mobile phone batteries and particularly their rapid deterioration has been a concern for many people.

My take is that as batteries got better phones started to use more power, so the newer apps are just draining batteries quicker than the old ones. Whereas in EVs your motor power won't change.

Also, the BMS is very active making sure the batteries aren't put into conditions that might cause faster degradation.

 

[Rolfe]

Our physics teacher, in the 1960s, spent ages trying to tell us that these AA things aren't batteries, they're cells. Not that that made any difference to common usage.

 

[Gomev]

@Bam Bam No not prompted by that video, sometimes I have no idea how my mind works, things just pop into it although the 'AAs under the bum' comment may have been inspired by it.
I'm thinking that the use of cells, modules or packs doesn't really conjure up any more of a friendly description. Having thunked about it I do quite like the term power bank or power something, or perhaps energy bank, energy tank
It's not supposed to be a serious thought, they will probably always be described as batteries.
I was looking more for a light hearted way of describing the BEV equivalent of a petrol tank, Electrons tank possibly ...no I don't think so.

 

[GaryMG4]

People don't seem to have a problem with a battery in their iPhone, tooth brush etc. I just think its another peg to hang their anxiety on, after range, no chargers, spontaneous combustion and collapsing car parks.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Technically, you could call the energy storage facility under the floor of the car a fuel tank.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Although I never watched the program, I understand that Top Gear did an episode where Clarkson stated that the batteries would go into land fill in 3 years and that they pushed the EV off the race track even though it still had around 50% charge. I think this kind of FUD hasn't helped.

 

[JohnV6]

I had a very interesting discussion over lunch on the lines of BEV are rubbish. I pointed out that I did 40 miles in my BEV charging at home and with home PV panels & batteries Octopus paid me £35 for my gas & elec bill in June. The cost per mile (admitted mostly home charging) for the 3200 miles since new is under 3 p. What is not to like

 

[Susanna]

Committed petrol heads are never going to admit that an electric car is a good alternative. The issue isn’t helped by any incident involving an EV appearing to make headline news. ICE drivers then capitalise on the ‘bad news’ (or even make up stuff) to justify their opinions.

We all know that an EV is not a suitable vehicle for everyone, at the moment anyway. But in time, I think there will be many more drivers who come over from the dark (polluting) side, and that can only be a good thing.

 

[Caramaddy]

 

[securespark]

I've had people tell me that multistorey car parks are having to be reinforced because of BEVs and they are causing untold damage to our roads IE potholes.

When I mentioned 44 ton trucks, they went a little bit quiet, then piped up, what abaht the car parks? Yer can't get an artic in them, can yer?

 

[Susanna]

I think that large vehicles like Range Rovers weigh a similar amount, maybe more, than many EV’s. So much FUD around.

 

[W12Lad]

I did a quick check with a Kia Sportage ice against my ZS EV a little while ago after a couple of beers.
The lightest Sportage was slightly lighter and the heaviest Sportage was slightly heavier.
Point proven.
My confirmation bias prevented me from looking further.

 

[GaryMG4]

The first thing a friend said when he saw my car was 'they weigh so much and are damaging the roads', I pointed out his Porsche Maccan was 250 kg heavier than my MG4, 'nuff said.