McCain offers $300 million for new auto battery

[Greyskye]

Source: Associated Press

Sen. John McCain hopes to solve the country's energy crisis with cold hard cash.

The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting thinks the government should offer a $300 million prize to the person who can develop an automobile battery that leapfrogs existing technology.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080623/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_energy_1;_ylt=Aj.qJPX0gdH6suQCApueicQE1vAI

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Not much more at link.

A version of the X-Prize. Not original, but that kind of incentive has a good track record.


edit: typo

[dkf]

1. Why is a car battery the secret to it all?

I don't get it.

Obama better watch out though. McCain is leading this discussion and looks like a more original thinker. Not what you'd expect when you contemplate who doesn't know a PC from a Mac.

[DRoseDARs]

3. The article was probably written by someone who usually covers basket weaving, not auto tech.

It's a shitastic article. McCain probably doesn't understand himself, but had others explain it to him well enough. This "new battery" is really just code for improving lithium-ion batteries or similar so they can hold better charges, longer, and in colder temperatures. Currently li-ion batteries are envisioned as the future core of any electric or hybrid vehicle, but they are woefully underpowered for the general rigors of regular consumer automotive use. And when it gets cold out, they can fail, leaving the all-electric stuck in park until it warms up a bit. Ever had a car not start on a cold winter morning? Car batteries don't like it when it's cold out; li-ion batteries are no exception and are actually a bit more susceptible to damage from temperature. They also age from the time from manufacture, regardless of charging.

I'll have to give credit to McCain on this one, though he's still a douchebag.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery

[dkf]

4. Ok, I understand this part of it.

That article was baaad. And I bet you are right that McCain can't explain it very well. Sometimes he seems a little bit of a dim bulb to me.

[Kokonoe]

17. The guy blew up an aircraft carrier with a

faulty toggle switch, and now wants us to believe he knows how to use cutting edge technology.

[hopewell1985]

38. ya

maybe just a little bit

[masmdu]

24. Actually, "New Battery" not just improving LithiumIon...They are already being put to shame by THIS!

'Electrical Energy Storage Units' (Ultracapacitors)

The energy density is 1.0 MJ/kg (existing commercial supercapacitors typically have an energy density of around 0.01 MJ/kg, while lithium ion batteries have an energy density of around 0.54–0.72 MJ/kg).

A five-minute charge should give the capacitor sufficient energy to drive a small car 300 miles (The first Ultracapacitor car is due out in 2009 by Zenn)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEstor

Google "EEstor" for more.

[WCGreen]

2. I thought he was against govenment intervention in the Free MArket...

Flip Flop...

[SpiralHawk]

10. Republicons are 'against' Nation Building, too - speaking of Massive Flip Flops

...as we watch trillions of our tax dollars flow overseas to NATION BUILD in Iraq and Afghanistan, while the infrastructure of the USA goes to Hell in a Handbasket.

Republicon lies -- as reliable as sunrise.

[truthisfreedom]

5. Ermm, Mr McCane? It's called Lithium Ion. And it's about to become part of the marketplace.

Replacing Metal Hydride batteries everywhere, in the next couple of years.

Man, is this guy behind the times.

[Dr.Phool]

16. Yep,check out

www.a123systems.com

They have a track record, and conversion systems are coming to the market in July.

[cobalt1999]

27. Lithium Ion is a big improvement, but not the Quantom Leap in battery technology needed.

Battery Life has improved steadily over the last few decades, but we aren't there yet.

[Hugabear]

29. Well then, maybe someone can make an easy $300M

Not as though he would know that it's already in the works ;)

[Hugin]

6. Shouldn't the headline say... Government should offer $300 Million for new battery?

It ain't like it's McCain's idea or his money.

[1Hippiechick]

13. Sounds like a ploy to win the support of the less knowledgeable...or less inquisitive?

[pepperbear]

7. So we didn't have 300M to spend on alternative energy research until now?

And it's framed as a contest? Wow. It must be an election year.

[onehandle]

8. Why the government? Why not his wife? She pays for everything else. nt

[MJJP21]

9. This is it?

Is this the best that McBush can come up with to help solve the countrys energy woes? I would expext this idea to come from a sophmore in high school not a presidential contender.

[jody]

11. As a YDD I oppose McCain but the posts prove "No good idea will go un-pummeled".

YDD is for a

[Kokonoe]

22. You know he only says it to get elected.

And thats not a good Idea.

[jody]

31. You mean presidential candidates make statements they don't intend to keep! I know Obama wouldn't

do that. :evilgrin:

[Kokonoe]

34. McCain is not fit to be compared to Senator Obama

McCain is a flip flopping cradle robbing GOP pervert.

Senator Obama is changing politics for us.

[jody]

35. I agree with you 1000%, Obama would never say anything just to get votes. n/t

[FarCenter]

12. The Japanese, Koreans, and Taiwanese pretty much own battery technology

Due to their predominance in the market for cellphone and laptop batteries, companies in the Far East have made considerable strides in battery technology.

The chance of an American company coming up with a substantially better battery that doesn't require the use of their patents is slim to none.

[raystorm7]

21. True. Its already been done, just not by America. McCain will always be late to the game =p

[dipsydoodle]

14. Exactly how big

is his wife's vibrator ?

[hatrack]

15. Is Cindy paying for it? I'm reasonably sure she's got the cash on hand . . .

:eyes:

[Javaman]

18. isn't this the same mclobbyist that wants to drill everywhere he can?

300 million dollars for a fucking battery?

he is fucking insane. How about 10 million for the prize, then spread the rest around to support alternative energy development?

mcsame offering up all sorts of bullshit.

He could promise the fucking moon, he knows he isn't going to be elected.

News flash, mclame offers up a gazillion dollars to anyone that can come up with a way to jump start his brain!

[Onlooker]

19. Is he trying to buy off the big corporations?

While battery technology certainly is lagging, you don't fix the problem by offering a $300 million prize. That might encourage the big corporations to work on the problem, but smaller companies and institutions would not be able to compete. We shoudl offer research grants so that more people can make their living trying to solve the problem. If you want to offer prizes, offer smaller ones and recognition. McCain's idea is truly idiotic.

[Phred42]

20. Can anyone say EV-1? The battery problem was solved by the late 90's

Having said that - a more efficient battery will ALWAYS be the next step. No matter how efficient they get we will always need and could use a MORE efficient one.

Besides - if someone came up with a "leap-frog" in this technology - THEY WOULD EARN MORE THAN $300 from the market anyway

And none of this matters unless you guaranty that the Oil Industry cannot sit on it.

[KansDem]

33. "And none of this matters unless you guaranty that the Oil Industry cannot sit on it."

That was my thought.

Offer this reward. Someone invents one. Payment is made. Oil buys patent. Now what?

[Bread and Circus]

23. To be honest, a superlative car battery would be the most fundamental improvement that the earth

could use right now.

I say 300 billion would be more appropriate.

I'm not joking.

[MindPilot]

25. That was my first thought too

Companies all around the world are already working on this. The development of a viable car battery that can deliver about the same performance as a tank of gas would make $300 million or even $300 billion look like pocket change.

McCain is not a leader. A leader would challenge the country and the world to make it happen; not offer a prize--that's middle-management crap.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need you to go ahead a develop a new battery. That'll be grrrreeeaaat."

[high density]

26. A battery to store electricity generated mostly from coal and oil?

What a great idea! That fixes everything.

[harun]

28. He is a sitting Senator. If he wants a 300 new battery prize (from the Gov.) he

can introduce a bill to do so. If he is just paying lip service so the MSM can post this as a headline and get uninformed people to the McCain is somehow actually supporting this he can do what he just did, which is nothing.

[Wabbajack_]

30. I got one

the money first McCain.

[xxqqqzme]

32. 300 million?

Does this mean he will pull out of Iraq after 99 years, 364 days and 23 hours?

[Vinca]

36. Vote for McCain and win a prize!

Wow - just like the Publisher's Clearinghouse.

[AlphaCentauri]

37. the expenses to develop such a battery would be more than 500 millions

so 300 millions won't pay for it

[skoalyman]

39. McCain offers $300 million for new auto battery

that's kinda steep you can getem cheap at auto zone
:hide:

[and-justice-for-all]

40. damn he is dumb! TESLA motors Mr. Moran. nt