Schwinn electric bicycle - world's fastest charging time

[Texas]

We only have a few weeks left before this revolutionary battery hits the market. Toshiba's SCiB quick-charge battery technology could change the EV world very quickly... If only they can get the price down.


"...will hit US dealers at the end of this month and arrive in Europe in Spring equipped with a battery that not only charges in a world beating 30 minutes via a standard outlet (or a lightning 7 minutes via a 40 amp commercial charger)...

The fast charging times are courtesy of Toshiba’s Super Charge ion Battery (SCiB),a technology which the Tailwind is the first to take advantage of in the eBike arena. Schwinn says the 5Ah, 24V battery will be good for 2000 cycles and in testing, Toshiba has shown that the battery will still maintain 80% of charge after 6000 cycles. Competing products make between 600 and 1000 cycles and take around eight times longer to charge according to Schwinn (based on the 30 minute/standard outlet time)."




http://www.gizmag.com/schwinn-tailwi...ng-time/10775/

[omnimoeish]

These would be perfect for us dirt poor folk who can't afford a Volt no matter how many tanker trucks the battery gives you. Like you said, it's still a little pricey for a bike, but I bet the cost will half at least with their new factory otherwise they wouldn't bother building it because they'd never sell millions a year like they are planning on producing with that kind of price tag. $3,200 for the bike all together and the bike is probably only $500 without the battery.

[Texas]

These would be perfect for us dirt poor folk who can't afford a Volt no matter how many tanker trucks the battery gives you. Like you said, it's still a little pricey for a bike, but I bet the cost will half at least with their new factory otherwise they wouldn't bother building it because they'd never sell millions a year like they are planning on producing with that kind of price tag. $3,200 for the bike all together and the bike is probably only $500 without the battery.

Electric bikes are big in Japan but that $3,200 price range is more than twice what Japanese pay now for lithium-ion powered bikes. I don't know how good the market will be but if it can help Toshiba reach higher volumes of production then that will help to reduce manufacturing costs. They need to get huge economies of scale. EV, hybrids, electric bikes, power tools, quick-charge laptops and phones, etc. Just about the only problem is cost at this point.

If you took the current SCiB technology and reduced the cost to 1/3 it would change just about everything. Add in 5 more years of chemistry, packaging and electronic refinements along with fully automated volume production and you can get a good idea of where we are headed - quick-charge EVs.

Let's face it, if you can charge these batteries in 7 minutes you won't need hybrids or swap-out stations. It's a leap-frog technology similar to EEscam's claims only the SCiB is real, is in production and will be on the market in weeks. Additionally, Toshiba already announced plans for a much bigger factory. Nice!

“Toshiba aims to start construction of the new facility in the fall of 2009, and to start production in fall 2010” - $300 million dollar investment


http://www.eetimes.com/news/semi/sho...leID=212501946

[kingofl337]

The quoted numbers don't sound far from what I've heard from A123 cells. I know you can easily charge their cells at 30amps and they have no issue with that. Also, A123 cell tend to last way longer they normal Li-Ion and Li-Poly cells.

When someone releases a cell that will take 80a wake me up.

[Jason M. Hendler]

I hope people are finally getting a true feel for how long product cycles actually take. We've been discussing all these new batteries for months and years, yet this is the first transportation product to come out with them, and it's just a bicycle. A123 has been powering handtools and hobby toy planes, cars and boats for awhile, but nothing that can transport a person.

GM will be the first major automaker with a product that has all electric performance using newer (fast charging / long life) Lithium Ion technology, and it is just 12 - 18 months away.

[Texas]

I hope people are finally getting a true feel for how long product cycles actually take. We've been discussing all these new batteries for months and years, yet this is the first transportation product to come out with them, and it's just a bicycle. A123 has been powering handtools and hobby toy planes, cars and boats for awhile, but nothing that can transport a person.

GM will be the first major automaker with a product that has all electric performance using Lithium Ion technology, and it is just 12 - 18 months away.

True. Finally, I'm starting to get a warm fuzzy feeling that there is enough activity to make a major difference. The full scale factories will be key. That is when the true economies of scale can be reached. Then it's just a matter of duplicating those factories. The first one is the hardest.

One remaining concern I have is if the U.S. will continue to be a leader in not only R&D but also in manufacturing of electrical energy storage systems. I think you need both to fully develop this industry out. Some may not agree but I feel this is a critical global market. It will not only power most of transportation but also provide smart grid backup. Thus, the potential is almost unlimited. Those that start now will have a huge competitive advantage. Then again someone might just invent something that makes the entire industry obsolete. Well, no guts no glory!

[RobertSullivan]

I hope people are finally getting a true feel for how long product cycles actually take. We've been discussing all these new batteries for months and years, yet this is the first transportation product to come out with them, and it's just a bicycle. A123 has been powering handtools and hobby toy planes, cars and boats for awhile, but nothing that can transport a person.

GM will be the first major automaker with a product that has all electric performance using Lithium Ion technology, and it is just 12 - 18 months away.

I fellow here at work has an electric bicycle and an electric motorcycle both powered with Lithium Ion batteries (not these new fast charge ones). The bike was made in the US and the motorcycle in China. He bought the bike September 08 and it cost about $2,200. (eZee Forza high performance electric bike nycewheels.com/ezee-forza-electric-bike.html)

[Jason M. Hendler]

I fellow here at work has an electric bicycle and an electric motorcycle both powered with Lithium Ion batteries (not these new fast charge ones). The bike was made in the US and the motorcycle in China. He bought the bike September 08 and it cost about $2,200. (eZee Forza high performance electric bike nycewheels.com/ezee-forza-electric-bike.html)

Yes, I updated my post to specify Li-Ion chemistries that are fast charging or longer life, depending on how the company prefers to implement them. GM has opted for long life.

[RobertSullivan]

Yes, I updated my post to specify Li-Ion chemistries that are fast charging or longer life, depending on how the company prefers to implement them. GM has opted for long life.

I see, you were specifically referring to the Toshiba fast charge formula. Has there been any press about if the fast charging shortens this formula's overall life span? Just because it can be fast charged perhaps slow charging will result in more cycles.

[Jason M. Hendler]

I see, you were specifically referring to the Toshiba fast charge formula. Has there been any press about if the fast charging shortens this formula's overall life span? Just because it can be fast charged perhaps slow charging will result in more cycles.

It does appear to be the case that rapid recharging and battery life are correlated, but I can't speak for any specific product. Each will have to be evaluated.

As for press, I believe that I did read that rapid recharging did shorten the life of one company's product, perhaps it was A123, but I cannot remember.