Thursday, January 04, 2018
Wish fulfilled, sorta
Five years ago I wrote up the remarkably ETERNAL nickel-iron battery which had been an Edison specialty. I cited a story about an off-grid power system built in 1924 using NiFe batteries, which was still running 80 years later when the family that owned the place finally sold it. The batteries had never been replaced, were just barely maintained, and were going strong after 80 years.
At that time I checked to see if anyone was still making NiFe batteries. Only a dubious company in China and (of course) Russia. I wished for an American producer but had zero hope.
Wish fulfilled! This company based in Colorado has started making NiFe again, using the 'Iron Edison' brand name.
Immediate thought: I want to give them some business! Could I buy a battery for use in electronic experimenting? Unfortunately not. The batteries are aimed exclusively at the same type of off-grid usage as before. The smallest one is equivalent to ten car batteries and is priced at $1000.
Excellent price for the purpose. Ten car batteries would run about $1200 and would last only four years instead of 80.
Even though it's out of my range, I'm HAPPY to see that NiFe is back!
Now if a smart entrepreneur would start making cheap little electric cars aimed at the PROPER PURPOSE of electric cars (in-town runabouts), equipped with safe permanent non-toxic NiFe instead of the short-lived explosive lithium, I'd buy one.
Labels: Patient things
¶ 5:10 PM
