GRA said:
I do note that they've backed off from triple density/one third of the cost to double density/one half, which was what I expected during commercialization...
perhaps that's because they are realizing they can't get away with using nearly 100% of capacity like Nissan does. Ideally, about 1/3 capacity should be out of bounds. From what I've read and been told, to maximize battery life, hybrids including the Volt access about the inner 65% of their pack, the rest is buffer. Such a cushion would allow for more dependable GOM predictions in a BEV, as the cut off could go more by actual miles than a precise floating voltage since there would be more wiggle room (which is what I suspect the Volt does to improve "accuracy"). I would think more of the pack could be accessible in cold weather to make up for range loss due to cold. Also, that extra cushion would allow a more stable pack life, allowing access to more of the overall pack as it ages and degrades, keeping more consistent range available to the user... mainstream consumers don't like fluctuation! All in all, I don't expect a big jump in range at first with the next jump in technology, but rather a more realistic and user friendly system for range management.