- AMP converts Saturn Sky into a 300-hp, 125mpg electric car. The company’s website is here. They use lithium iron phosphate batteries for the conversion and, unfortunately, are only accepting orders from folks in the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio area.
- Tired of high gas prices but are stuck driving a gas car for a while? Join the ranks of the hypermiling drivers, “A method of increasing your car’s gas mileage by making skillful changes in the way you drive.”
- Toyota and Matsushita are teaming up to build more plants for hybrid vehicle batteries, mostly lithium ion.
- Thanks to a reader for the link to this announcement from Firefly that the Oasis battery is going to be released this Summer. You might remember them as the microcell foam AGM battery guys, getting higher density out of lead acid. I asked about the price, considering the battery is relatively similar in specs to the Odyssey Hawker’s, and they guessed around $400 per battery.
- Billionaire oilman backs wind power. Put a turbine on your land, earn $20,000 a year income.
Matsushita is one of THE names in batteries in Japan. If you’ve used anything cordless by Makita, you’ve used a Matsushita battery. This is not a little thing, this is a rather big company.
I’m so pleased to see the Firefly batteries available to the public. Maybe they are only a little better then existing high end AGMs but it’s an improvement. I notice from the spec sheet on this battery that Firefly are using a standard-ish positive plate and only using their Microcell™ technology on the negative plate. I expect there’s more improvement to come in the future.
I believe they are way better than AGM, they ahve way more capacity, and should last longer
Hypermiling totally works. It is a combination of fad and good driving techniques. Not yet a household word – it should be.