Re:Tesla Master Plan Part 3
by bryanlarsen on Thursday April 06, 2023 @07:40AM
(#35467025)
Fuel cells require catalysts like platinum which are far less common than anything in a battery.
They don't actually require platinum. Only types. And even then, it is basically the catalytic converter in terms of platinum needed. It is also 100% recyclable already.
Re:Tesla Master Plan Part 3
by bryanlarsen on Thursday April 06, 2023 @09:40AM
(#35468179)
All catalysts are way less common than the Iron, Phosphate and Lithium in a mass market car battery.
No, since sometimes it is also just iron or whatever. Not to mention that a catalyst is a surface, not a volume. You can get away with atom-thick layers of catalysts. Which is why even with platinum you only need a few grams of it. Cost of that is significantly less than a large mass of other materials.
Re:Tesla Master Plan Part 3
by bryanlarsen on Thursday April 06, 2023 @10:03AM
(#35468430)
Catalysts are consumables and need to be replaced regularly. Battery materials are recyclable.
Again no. Catalysts are endless recyclable.
Re:Tesla Master Plan Part 3
by enslavedrobot on Friday April 07, 2023 @03:54PM
(#35486244)
Nickel iron oxide is the best catalyst for a type of fuel cell based on Anionic Exchange Membranes.
Cheap as dirt and you only need milligrams per kW. But it's so cheap you can use a tenth of a gram just to be on the safe side.
I will argue that the finite nature of battery related materials, plus their weight, is a major impediment against all-battery powered cars in road transport. They are not "good enough" except as a stopgap until the next idea comes around. Which ironically could just be synthetic fuels, but more likely something like a hydrogen fuel cell car.