This year at the Geneva Motor Show, an exciting new technological wonder was on display: a sports car that runs off “flow cell” technology.
The Quant F, as it’s called, from carmaker Nunzio La Vecchia, gets 746 kW (1,000 hp) of energy and can travel 500 m (805 km). The sports car was actually around for last years’ car show, but many in the industry were skeptical about the vehicle, feeling that the promises made by its manufacturer and designer were simply too good to be true. And while the technology still might be too futuristic to be seen on the roads in our lifetimes, it is “a very interesting concept car, if nothing else”, as GizMag’s C.C. Weiss said.
“Flow cell” cars work by using two fluids. One has a negative charge while the other a positive charge. The liquid can be stored within any space in the vehicle, making it a highly versatile compound.
Nanoflowcell, La Vecchia’s company, has improved the powertrain design since last year, and now boast larger liquid tanks as well as a two-speed transmission and a system that provides a quick burst of energy when extremely fast acceleration is necessary.
The company also puts a primary on environmental friendliness and ended up setting the vehicle’s maximum voltage at around 400 V for efficiency. The top speed also dropped from 236 mph to 186 mph, which may be because of the voltage limit.
The Quant F may still end up on the roads, and they have been approved for road use in Germany. The technology certainly could revolutionize travel. As La Vecchia explains, “To our knowledge, no one has ever before put a system delivering over 2,000 amperes on the road in a passenger car. This is unique. We achieve this by combining our flow battery with the new buffer system. This system opens up vast potential for the future of electricity mobility”.
Image (c) C.C. Weiss/Gizmag
