252: Zinc Batteries

[@lindseyhatfield9017]

APTERA I would buy an Aptera before buying a cybertruck, both are the "out there design" but the Aptera does it for a reason.

[@deanmcmanis9398]

Thanks for mentioning my long comment. I think that Sean is closer to the real point of Aptera. It is all about the efficiency. The aerodynamic shape, the light weight carbon fiber tub, the 3 wheels, the relatively small battery pack, which still gets 400 miles of range, and up to 40 miles more of driving per day from the sun. It is the anti-Hummer. The solar EV capability today is only possible because the Aptera's efficiency, and it shows what can be done with a super efficient vehicle. For instance those Zinc batteries, and other chemistries like sodium ion batteries, have huge benefits like low cost, smaller carbon footprint for manufacture, long life, and easy recycling. But currently they are only being considered for stationary energy storage uses. But because the Aptera is (3) times as efficient (and half the weight) of your average EV, they could use the lower energy dense Zinc battery, and still get 250 miles of range (plus solar). The efficient Aptera is not the Newton in 1993, it is the lithium ion battery in 2007.

[@deanmcmanis9398]

Sorry to add more, but Aptera can have a huge effect on EVs and transportation without being a mass market crossover, or pickup that meets "everyone's" needs. You could say than Rivian vans are in a niche market, but they still sell enough of them to be a great asset for Rivian. The need for a commercial EV van didn't exist until recently, mostly because there weren't practical, affordable, competitive examples available. Likewise, with 50,000 reservations placed for the Aptera so far, there is enough of a demand to drive production, and hopefully to become profitable in the 1st year or two after production begins.

[@9Eighty5Tech]

@@deanmcmanis9398 The “It has to appeal to the masses! It has to look like a regular car!” mindset is backwards, boring, and ultimately self-defeating.

[@chris55top]

Aptera is not about solar first it has always been about efficiency first. Their efficiency make solar viable. This is what the founders have always been saying.

[@robertreidy6700]

Echoing the other great comments about Aptera. I want to add: Aptera is a partial solution to people, like me, who can't charge at home. How many kWh I need to charge; and how much money I spend for them is a relatively minor concern compared to the convenience of not having go out to charge as much! AND I get the savings/convenience of lower maintenance of EVs. I think a lot of people who talk about EVs can charge at home, so they don't think about that. There are street side charging stations, but those require money and all the headaches of infrastructure planning.

[@leger13g]

Great information.

[@lindseyhatfield9017]

The FLOW batteries have a major future in slower release power overnight from the storage of wind and solar energy during the day. I have been trying to get one for my home, it would be ideal. (Especially if I can add it to the home battery)

[@patrickmckowen2999]

Lots of great info👍

[@StillTBD]

Thank you, glad to hear you enjoyed it! -Matt

[@scottstormcarter9603]

The people who set up that prize for the window heat pump, are fantastic. We need more people creating prizes to incentivize good solutions. XPRIZE isn't the only one doing things like this.

[@johnseberg6989]

Thanks for mentioning my comment. I tried to figure out from where my ideas came, and I think it was an MCJ podcast. The guest was Nate Adams ("The House Whisperer") and he was talking about the IRA and general regulation of heat pumps. The episode was recorded Sep 13, 2023 and published Nov 15, 2023, titled "Nate 'the House Whisperer' and the Realities of Home Electrification". The podcast is now called "Inevitable" (name changed). One could skip to the 32 minute mark to hear what influenced me. He says Vancouver BC had a heat pump mandate. I think the whole podcast is good. But, a lot happens in a year, in this space!

[@bknesheim]

Based on what happen in LA, an episode centered on what is being developed for fire proofing your house could be interesting.

[@tweake7175]

john deere was simply you had to use john deeres scanner tools to set the software side. with cars aftermarket readers/scan tools are available and often use standardized codes. i understand john deere does not. which means your forced to get one of their techs out. toyota has done a few things like suing people who share their parts manuals online. some companies do not send their techs manuals, they can only access them over the net through their system. which can mean your forced to take your car to the stealership. part of this is that parts and service is a major part of dealerships income. so manufactures try to block diy and mechanics to keep dealerships happy. there is high efficiency designed wood stoves, many places they are a requirement. also wood stoves with outdoor air intakes so they can work in air tight houses. heat pumps, afaik the main difference in the txv valve (gas restrictor) is in the outdoor unit in a heat pump, but in the indoor unit with aircon or freezer. aircon has liquid and gas lines, heat pump has high/low pressure gas lines.

[@jasondumb5706]

The backlash to Google Glass capitalized on existing consumer trepidation, but I believe the backlash was manufactured by competitors to Google. Competitors who you know might have access to social media. Hard to believe much of the journalism around technology these days, which makes this show especially valuable. Thanks

[@mackfisher4487]

New / Old House technology: pellet stove have great advantages but look at we’re the wood pallets are harvested, ecological and cost issue. Wood-burning outdoor boilers are expensive but if you have a free source of wood and can justify pumping carbon into the atmosphere. Suggestion for Matt a video on how to do a home energy audit and where to get the best bang for the buck and with a ecological component.

[@jjussi]

About that John Deere... Tractor is basically big computer what you are NOT allowed to fix, modify, or do anything else than drive. Only John Deere technician is allowed to ask (with his computer) what is wrong and change that failing component. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJKyhGmYfNmUba8

[@zyxwvut4740]

Yes, JD is a known arch-enemy of Right-to-Repair. And farmers can repair just about anything.🧑‍🌾👩‍🌾🚜

[@MightyUnlikely]

Interesting comment/request from a viewer about the "old Tech" in "updated Form". Matt used an example of (old) Wood Stoves being updated with (new, improved) Pellet Stoves. From my understanding of these stoves, the functionality of the stove is excellent (and more environmentally friendly). Unfortunately, having been part of the log/lumber industry in my past I can say that the "pellet creation process" is far, far worse than simply harvesting wood. The machinery used to grind down raw material into "smooth flowing" (pellet friendly) powder is very often off-grid diesel-powered in the woods. The plant processing steps to make the pellets "sturdy" also involve chemical adhesives (not regulated, not environmentally-friendly). IMO, it's just another example of a good idea that has some (peripheral) unintended consequences.

[@RyuuKageDesu]

Currently stuck in the barycenter of the Earth and Moon... This is awkward. Surprised at the reception, though.

[@patrickkenny2077]

Regarding Aptera, FWIW I will buy one not for the solar charging or because it is a "wierdmobile", but because it uses less than half the energy to do my daily commute than my Model Y. I am also more interested in their manufacturing strategy than anything else with the company. It will be fun to see where they are in 5 years.

[@andrewknots]

The longest running EV is the dairy home milk delivery truck round here. I remember it coming round in the late 50s

[@zaxxon4]

It's not that we don't want to hear about battery tech. It is that we want to hear a lot about it when it enters production for purchase, a little about it when it enters production planning, and a paragraph about it when it is proven to work in a lab (more if it is such a radical change as to appear magical). This isn't like hearing about the Tesla robot where it is exciting at every stage in development.

[@wesdiezy]

Aptera is not ahead of its time, it is right where it needs to be. It was ahead of it's time when they originally founded their first start up with a hybrid drivetrain. But now the technology has caught up and they have a beautifully functional solar EV of the same basic design. The solar capacity is perfectly fine for charging a normal days' worth of driving from the sun. Aptera was designed to be the most efficient vehicle possible first and foremost and not designed around putting solar panels on it. They just decided to throw some solar panels on it because it made sense. The founders have said these many times themselves. There are plenty of reservation holders including me, and when their cars finally hit the roads, they will be the perfect advertisement just from driving them. They are not trying to be Tesla and take over the world. They just want to make an efficient car that is good for the environment and will save people money over the long term and I think they will succeed in that.

[@user-jg6bd7se8u]

I have many mini splits. Not all of them come with the reversing valve. However, all of them that have the "heat" function, come with a heating element at the base of the compressor. In terms of the minisplits, if it has the heat ring at the base of the compressor... it also has a reversing valve. I can tell by looking. Some of them you can order with a "low ambient kit". Guess what, if it has a reversing valve... it also has the low ambient kit. What is the low ambient kit? A heating element at the base of the compressor. You can tell if it's a heat capable unit by looking at the temp operating range. If it's down to 5 degrees it may or may not have the heat ring. If it's less than 5 degrees... it is low ambient and surely has the heat ring. The heat ring is literally a metal ring like an electric stove burner coil. You can also tell if it has the heat pump from the SEER (seasonal efficiency rating). Heat pump units will have a higher seer. 😊

[@tweake7175]

aircon and freezer compressors can also come with compressor heating element in the base of the compressor, and no reversing valve.

[@user-jg6bd7se8u]

@tweake7175 right. That is called a low ambient kit. I've never seen one without it. Window shaker units won't have it. They will use the fan to kick up condensate from the drain pan. If it gets too cold, the condensate freezes and breaks the fan blades. I dunno why they do the heat element on most units then turn around and charge extra for a low ambient kit. I don't wanna get way out in the weeds on what has what, speaking about heat pump mini split units in my observation they all have heat ring on their compressors. I've had to add the heat rings to traditional split units, but at least in my experience there is always an element on a mini... there is not always a reversing valve. Again, if there is a reversing valve, there is assuredly an element.

[@9Eighty5Tech]

Aptera has the potential to reduce a person’s carbon footprint dramatically by simply driving it instead of anything else you’re driving. That’s not an over statement when you’re talking about 100 Wh/mile without even including solar. And it’s fun and fast and super cool. Don’t underestimate people’s laziness. Getting behind the wheel of an Aptera is way easier than installing a heat pump.

[@tweake7175]

battery tech is still very interesting. more please. however a lot of ev fans boys went way way over the top hyping battery tech that never happened. people have gotten really sick and tired of hearing all the claims and nothing happens. that started turning people off ev's. fortunately it seams to have quietened down, at least where i am. however the recent rush of new battery tech can be viewed of more of the same by a lot of people. however as some are in small scale/cell production, a good chance it will get to full scale production soon, and that will turn ev's into mass market product. but i also hope that home batteries and home solar improve and come down in cost so your not reliant on the grid to charge ev's.

[@darrylrichman]

The problem with talking about all of the lab research tech is that it becomes like fusion. Sure we see these reports, but a high proportion of it is always going to be 30 years from being commercially ready. One of the other channels I watch talks about technology readiness levels kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGOUk6ahZ9mLmKc (fusion is at level 3 out of 9, for example, still a lab curiosity), which puts a lot this otherwise cool tech into context. If zinc batteries are TRL 3, then it might be entertaining to watch, but I know I'm not going to find it searching on Amazon, even next year. If something is at 6 or 7, I might start looking around my house for where I can put it on a cement pad.

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

Electricity supply in an electric world will be wide spread, battery technologies will be better. Full battery every day will be normal. Aptera will still be popular.

[@lyledal]

Do we *really* have people walking around with Meta Glasses? Really?

[@CHIEF_420]

@Generación_"Alpha" 🌎 = 🙉🙈🙊...

[@seanb5368]

Sorry Matt. You voted against diversity

[@cadude145]

John Deere is or has one of the worst records on Right to repair. In some cases leaving crops to rot in the fields. See link below for just one example. I watched an entire special that was all about John Deere issues. I am happy to report that because or related to this issue sales of John Deere equipment are down 25%. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5LZYn6baZlmmtksi=29ezXtpp9ycLkTb6 Another great example is Apple products see nearly any Luis Rossman post for examples