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Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by dmoy on Monday December 25, 2023 @12:54AM (#38760220)
> Say it takes 5min, that's 5min of being right there holding the pump (or babysitting it)

5 mins is like 50 gallons of gas, which is a very, very large gas tank. That's like larger than a Ford F-350 gas tank.

My car's gas tank fills in like one minute, if I run it fairly close to empty (which is rare)

Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by Dalewyn on Monday December 25, 2023 @04:28AM (#38761134)
A fully fueled F-350 can easily travel 700+ miles before it needs to refuel, too. Assuming it's just being driven around town, you'll probably go months between stopping at the pump.
Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by AYBABTME on Monday December 25, 2023 @04:46AM (#38761223)
Doesn't change much to your argument. But fuel doesn't last for months sitting in a tank. Gas will absorbs moisture from the mandatory ethanol mix and become quasi useless, and diesel will develop algae, clogging the piping and filters.
Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by Dalewyn on Monday December 25, 2023 @06:04AM (#38761602)
Speaking from experience it really isn't as big of a problem as it sounds, and there are additives you can use if it does become a bother.
Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by dreamoffire on Monday December 25, 2023 @03:24PM (#38765783)
Which year/trim of a truck are we talking about here specifically? I’d be interested in not refuelling for months of city driving.

Assuming we’re just talking about driving around for errands and not things you use a truck for, this would still be impressive.

Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by Dalewyn on Monday December 25, 2023 @05:45PM (#38767001)
2021 Ford F-350 XLT, long bed + crew cab, diesel engine (do F-350s even come in gas...?).

Family and I used it for moving across state, and with no load (or very light load, no trailer) and a full tank it could make a 700 mile journey in one go with fuel to spare. That included going up a couple mountain passes.

Fully loaded (20ft enclosed trailer and truck bed), it still made about 500 miles of the way before we needed to refuel.

Worth noting, we found the mileage wasn't actually affected in any significant way by any cargo we hauled. It was pulling that trailer, regardless empty or loaded, that reduced mileage (aerodynamic drag!).

Street driving is less efficient than freeway driving, obviously, but with a ~40 gallon fuel tank it should still make stopping at the pump a very infrequent event.

Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by esperent on Monday December 25, 2023 @04:29AM (#38761141)
I think the parent comment mentioned 5 minutes because this is how long the article says these new batteries will take to refuel. Although it's quite likely the article made this figure up.

In any case, it's a redundant point because it's unlikely a battery fluid system would be designed in the same way as old fashioned gas pumps. More likely, it would clamp on and you can sit in the car or take a small walk while it does it's work. Gas pumps are designed to be handheld because they are fast. If it took 5 minutes to pump gas, we would probably have redesigned these by now too.

Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by Faaak on Monday December 25, 2023 @05:49AM (#38761533)
Don't you have to pay for it afterwards ?
Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by devilbunny on Monday December 25, 2023 @08:27AM (#38762399)
Pay at the pump is nearly universal in the US. The last time I encountered a station that didn't have it was ca. 2001 in rural Arkansas.

Pull up, insert card, insert filling handle, start, lock on, step to the side to avoid fumes, when it clicks off you put up handle, put gas cap on, drive away.

Electric cars have a lot of pluses, but refilling the tank as quickly as gasoline or diesel isn't one of them. I can drive at highway speeds for over thirteen hours on two refills of the tank, each of which takes less time than walking in and using the restroom.

Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by burnerburnito on Monday December 25, 2023 @02:55PM (#38765567)
For whatever it's worth, some places currently disallow pay at the pump if you're refuelling late at night, at least for diesel (I didn't check for gasoline). I've encountered it before while driving across the US even just 1-2 years ago.
Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by oe on Monday December 25, 2023 @05:54AM (#38761556)
At least around here you open an app on your phone, select which pump you are on, and the total is charged from your debit card. The total time is just the time it takes to pump fuel to the car.
Re:Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium? by jtc331 on Monday December 25, 2023 @06:33AM (#38761761)
IME gas pumps are often slower than the 10 Gpm limit in the US.