Its already happening.

I can list a number of cars that are already running off of lithium ion batteries, some of which are already in limited production for sale to the public. It is true that lithium batteries can be dangerous, but the same can be said for just about every other fuel out there, thats the nature of harnessing large amounts of energy and putting it to use. Even diesel fuel can be explisive under the right contitions.
As for the unique flamability of lithuim, there are second and third generation batteries that are addressing those conserns. The recent recall of laptop batteries shows what can happen when some one picks a low bidder to build lithium cells, but the fact that we are still useing them in our laptop PCs is proof that the technology is sound. I have seen several demonstrations that show how a lithium cell can be put through the ringer and still not go into thermal runaway.

So if you say:

I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it.

 

Humm I must have got a good one. I have been averaging 14.2 MPG since I got the truck driving it un-loaded. I pulled four snowmobiles in a 24' enclosed trailer and got 12.2 average over an 800 mile trip, the truck only has 1,400 miles on it. For those of you say that your 7.3 gets opver 20 MGP congrats. I knows that mine never got better than 18 empty and that was on a good day. For those of you that say your 6.0 has more power you must be on the same thing that your truck is because the only 6.0 that go like these 6.4 have been moded.

 

Thats good, your mileage will improve till it is slightly less than the pre smog 6.0 i would suspect. I've driven many unloaded 6.0's and three 6.4's so far and to be honest don't notice much diference at all in pickup. The 6.4 is a tiny bit better out of the hole from a stop but I was surprised to notice that the 6.0 seemed to be quicker after that. Would love to try towing with a 6.4 for comparision as I suspect thats where it will shine but so far haven't had the opportunity. Wishing you the best of luck with your new truck.

 

12mpg average for towing is not bad at all. Your milage can only improve from here on in. As for the 20 mpg, the only time I have ever heard of those numbers was with the older non powerstroke diesels, but my old 6.9 doesn't have any emission controls, so it can be good when empty, but it can still slurp fuel when pushed (lack of a turbo). Though I have heard of 6.0l diesels that come close.

 

I have a 2000 Powerstroke with the full banks kit on it and I can get 20-22 cruiseing on the freeway at 55-60 MPH. Other than that I usually get in the 15-18 range.

 

Sounds about right. Sooner or later, upgrades will be avalable for the 6.4L that may bring the mpgs closer to those numbers. But the most difficult ""upgrade"" could be cruising at 55mph instead of 80 .

 

http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/PrimBatt/li-explosion.htm

Here's one with pictures. Google it. It's happening all over the world. The ones that I use at work, if they get wet and fluid gets past the copper pressure tube and the fiberglass housing its in will go off like two sticks of dynamite.

Google lithium battery explosion and see what you find.

You'll be suprised.

There ain't no way I'd drive a car driven by lithium batteries, and I'll be DAMNED if I'll put my family in one.

Gunner15a

 

 

Yeah, I saw a video clip that someone posted on a different thread, pretty crazy stuff!






Well you certinly have every right to choose what your family does or does not ride in. And I would not oppose a knuckle sandwich being fed to anyone who would try to take that right away from you or anyone else.

Heres a clip of a laptop that was forced into thermal runaway as a demonstration:

http://www.fiercewireless.com/node/8136

But what I was trying to explain it that there are ways to make these batteries safe. The Tesla roadster is powered by some 6000 first generation Li-ion cells, but the battery pack has been designed to contain the spread of fire in the event of an individual cell falure. In the case of the laptop in the video clip, it's battery pack has no safety barrier between cells, so the fire continues to burn hotter and hotter untill it consumes the whole PC. And as I said before, there are second and third generation Lithium batteries that are even safer. One design was tested by putting it into an oven at 240°C, without failing.