The Chevy Volt Needs an Ultracapacitor

I opened my Wall Street Journal with my morning coffee the other day and there on Page B2 is another story on the electric car.  This time it’s the Vice Chairman of GM saying the upcoming Chevy Volt’s battery may not have much range beyond 40 miles, and that he only gets 28 miles in the Michigan cold.

That’s quite an admission by an auto executive about a well-publicized, up-and-coming product with new technology.  As the CEO of the world’s largest manufacturer of ultracapacitors, it also makes me feel a little wistful.

Take a look at us.

Now, I know there’s probably a dozen CEOs for every story in the Wall Street Journal saying the exact same thing every day.  But it crosses your mind nonetheless.  Human nature, I suppose.

The fact remains ultracapacitors work extremely well in cold weather – down to minus 40 degrees Celsius.  They also complement the power density of batteries extremely well – ultracaps can store and release energy quickly in powerful bursts, reducing the drain on batteries for things like acceleration.  And ultracapacitors can be recharged through regenerative braking – there’s minimal drain on the car’s power.

We’ve made these points before to many companies, and the good news is that Europe and Asia are responding.  And third-party studies like this (which actually featured GM!) are proving the power of our technology in automotive applications. 

There’s no doubt that good things are starting to happen for Maxwell and its ultracapacitors.  I would just like to see a venerated automotive brand from the good ol’ USA have a chat with us as well.