A new lithium battery chemistry, known as lithium iron phosphate or LiFePO4, has the disruptive power to reinvent the classic sports car - those wonderful two-seaters manufactured between 1950 and 1970 - as practical and enjoyable electric cars.
This is not the same lithium chemistry used in the Tesla, Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf - these vehicle use cells similar to the familiar laptop battery. Invented in the United States, LiFePO4 battery cells do not suffer from thermal instability and come in standard form factors, perfect for small volume conversion projects.
The automotive industry has begun a transformation that – like a pendulum swing – will return us to the earliest electric roots of the car. Read our March 2008 PDF white paper Inevitable Electrics (free).
