[ajford]

Why wouldn't you take a scratch-build EV on the road? People build kit-cars all the time, and an EV has a much simpler control system.

This is a very simplified project to prove the concept and provide a test bed for further exploration, not an end-product by any stretch. This seems like the perfect project to test various membranes and electrolyte solutions.

[Workaccount2]

>Why wouldn't you take a scratch-build EV on the road?

Because you don't want to snap your spine in a minor fender bender.

Scratch built is not the same thing as an EV conversion kit, where all the hard stuff (like a frame and body panels) was already made by commercial manufacturers.

This flow battery is from scratch (well except for the pumps and electronics, but the cell itself is). They are not using off the shelf electrolyte and electrochemical cells like a flow battery kit would.

It's a neat project and would teach a lot, but I just cannot find a scenario in my head where I would want this (even a scaled up version) over another solution.

[avhon1]

Every other year, (solar-)electric cars scratch-built by high school students drive on public roads from Texas to (usually) California. This is considered a reasonable level of challenge, and something which insurers will cover (entrants are required to have vehicle liability insurance).

https://www.solarcarchallenge.org/challenge/about.shtml

https://www.solarcarchallenge.org/challenge/docs/rules2023.p...

[rcxdude]

Or from Darwin to Adelaide in Austrlia, where they have road trains to contend with. DIYing cars is very doable.

[Workaccount2]

And you would daily drive one of those?

You would be ok getting into an accident with one the same as you would get in an accident driving a civic?

Or maybe those are just learning vehicles meant to teach, and not meant to be car replacements? Just like this flow battery project?

Ironically your post validates my whole point: This is a student project at best, and likely worthless as a "democratization of energy storage". The same way those EV's would never be considered "democratization of EV cars".

C'mon...

[kirksmith]

I take your criticism, but as for your comment that it's "a student project at best"... we do have PhDs (mine in flow batteries !) and manage this project in our spare time, at our homes...

Our small team is fully qualified to work at any flow battery company. Just give us some time and let us work on it full-time for a bit (which will happen soon). The linked post on top was a blogpost I cranked out in a few minutes one night, not something I ever expected to be on HN.