Ultracapacitor Bus Recharges At Each Stop

From Slashdot:


Ultracapacitor Bus Recharges At Each Stop

"A US company and its Chinese partner are piloting a bus powered by ultracapacitors in Washington DC. Ultracapacitors lack the capacity of regular batteries but are considerably cheaper and can be recharge completely in under a minute. Sinautec Automobile Technologies, based in Arlington, VA, and its Chinese partner, Shanghai Aowei Technology Development Company, have spent the past three years demonstrating the approach with 17 municipal buses on the outskirts of Shanghai. The executive director of Sinautec touts the energy efficiency of this approach: 'Even if you use the dirtiest coal plant on the planet [to charge an ultracapacitor], it generates a third of the carbon dioxide of diesel.'"

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The ultracapacitors manufactured by Shanghai Aowei Technology Development Co., Ltd. They are made of activated carbon and have an energy density of six watt-hours per kilogram. (For comparison, a high-performance lithium-ion battery can achieve 200 watt-hours per kilogram.)


http://www.sinautecus.com/

Maximum Speed:		30 MPH
Power Source:		5.9 KWH Ultracapacitors
Electric Usage:		1.5 KWH per Mile
Recharging Time:		5-10 Minutes*
Maximum Range		3.5 Miles with full air conditioning 5.5 Miles without air conditioning
Bus Weight		12.5 Tons
Acceleration:		4 Feet / Second
Maximum Slope:		12 Degrees
Voltage & Current:		600-720V, 200A
Air Conditioning:		15 KW Air Conditioning