The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recently ran a seminar for its members on the electrification of transport, with the discussion centering around some of the opportunities that this field offers, according to Transport News Brief.
The two industry speakers, from electric truck maker Modec and Lotus, which makes the Elise-based sports car for Telsa, agreed that battery charging offers probably the biggest challenge.
"Even recharging through a conventional 35 amp three-phase supply is a bit like trying to refuel your car with a hypodermic, because the energy transfer rate is so low," said Simon Thing, engineering director at Lotus.
Most domestic electricity supplies are a factor of magnitude below that capacity. Providing a widespread system that would recharge a vehicle as fast as we can refuel a car would probably melt the national grid. This graphically illustrated the point that probably the biggest opportunity on the road to electric transport is to develop a practical re-charging infrastructure.
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