The Geneva auto show that began on the 4th of this month seems to be the most happening news in the auto industry. Green cars are in trend and car manufacturers are just too happy flaunting their electric, hybrid and fuel cell cars. What are their intentions? Is it the friendliness towards nature or is it something else? Well, why bother? Everybody is happy. Nature and car makers; both seem delighted.

New technologies too were brought to light at the Geneva auto show. The Quant is the solar electric car built in a partnership between Koenigsegg and NLV Solar. While most of the car makers paraded their lithium-ion battery variations, NLV Solar’s Quant made a difference. It visualized a redox-flow energy storage system. If you have seen fuel cells, these redox-flow batteries too work a little like them. However, these batteries contain two liquid electrolytes separated by a proton-exchange membrane. Electrons flow through this membrane. Now, is this battery practical enough? Does it work to everyone’s advantage?

With these batteries, there is a possibility of very quick discharge backed by a high output of power. The tolerance level when overloaded is high as well. Also, there is a possibility of a super-fast recharge by replacing the spent electrolyte liquids with fresh electrolyte. The last possibility has its own infrastructure challenges though.

The concept’s comparatively low energy density has been discreetly planned to keep these usually vanadium-based systems out of mobile applications. Their immediate response to the mighty loads too has made them popular as uninterrupted power supply emergency backup generators. That seems to be a major plus point. But there surely must be something more that the Swiss know and no one else, at least we Indians do not know.

NLV, after leading the solar business for so long, has done something different. It claims to have coated the Quant concept with a photovoltaic solar-energy capturing coating. The special coating is applied using chemical vapor deposition methods. Even with the entire body absorbing energy, it is only enough to power the accessory loads. In other words, this will allow for solar energy to be stored in the flow accumulator energy storage unit. Are you wondering what the flow accumulator energy storage unit is? Well, it is nothing but the battery.

On the whole, the design, the drive system, the range and photovoltaics of the NLV Quant are simply fabulous. A few years down the line and it looks like the concept will be something noteworthy to be remembered in the automobile industry’s history. Let’s see how far it goes.