nanoflowcell
the third member of nanoflowcell' s quant salt water - powered electric car family and the successor to the nanoflowcell quant f electric concept car, the nanoflowcell quant fe is the top - of - the - line member of the quant family based on the nanoflowcell quant e - sportlimousine .
nanoflowcell quo vadis? while many still think of nanoflowcell as a sports car manufacturer, others see it as the energy company of the future .
nanoflowcell quo vadis? while many still think of nanoflowcell as a sports car manufacturer, others see it as the energy company of the future. the ceo of nanoflowcell holdings, nunzio la vecchia, talks about the future of the nanoflowcell® and their technology’s hen - and - egg problem... . more
nanoflowcell claims the new quant 48volt can hit 62 mph in just 2. 4 seconds
the cars presented by nanoflowcell have been designed by koenigsegg, and are branded as
quant e
.
at the 2016 geneva international motor show, nanoflowcell ag is premiering the first street - legal low - voltage ev of the quant series, the quantino with nanoflowcell powertrain, introduced as a
near production standard
configuration .
nanoflowcell says it is the only research institute in europe specializing in the r & d of modern flow cells .
it took a long time. the development team at nanoflowcell holdings had worked for several years to [ … ]
nanoflowcell ag enabled the first use of a battery system with flow cell technology in an automotive application with the patent - pending nanoflowcell®, a revolutionary development of the already tried - and - tested flow cell technology... . more
the low - voltage driveline architecture developed by nanoflowcell holdings for electric vehicles is unique within the automotive industry. the quant prototype vehicles with integrated nanoflowcell® 48volt technology demonstrate the potential of the nanoflowcell® low - voltage drive technology – powerful and eco friendly and at the same time increased functional safety, lower production costs, and easier vehicle homologation... . more
the nanoflowcell® is an especially powerful and compact flow cell battery. its excellent scalability, simple construction, and easy operation give it decisive advantages for use in the construction of electric automobiles. das prinzip der nanoflowcell® die nanoflowcell® stellt eine besonders leistungsfähige und kompakte flowcell - batterie dar und bietet dank sehr guter skalierbarkeit und völlig unkompliziertem aufbau und handhabung bestechende vorteile für den einsatz im elektromobilbau .
zürich, march 2018 - research and development company nanoflowcell holdings and its investors have agreed the company' s milestone plan for the next five years. the central element of the plan is to attain a status of market maturity for the nanoflowcell technology. the milestone plan for the next five years is aimed at demonstrating to interested parties in the industrial sector large - scale production of the nanoflowcell membrane technology and the bi - ion electrolytes. to achieve this, nanoflowcell holdings is planning the construction of a globally unique innovation centre called quant - city .
“we had hoped that the nanoflowcell would reach the 100, 000 - km mark without going into maintenance mode, but when this really happened we were absolutely delighted with the resilience of the nanoflowcell, ” says nunzio la vecchia, ceo of nanoflowcell holdings. “current test analyses confirm our confidence and it is with complete assurance that we are giving a guarantee of 50, 000 operating hours on the nanoflowcell hardware. that equates to a theoretical running distance in an electric car of 2. 5 million km (1. 55 million miles). ”
the quant f uses a two - speed automatic transmission, “the like of which has not been seen before, ” according to nanoflowcell .
quantino 48volt: flow cell powered electric car succeeded 150, 000 km stress test. clean energy for global e - mobility by nanoflowcell .
nanoflowcell holdings invited members of the press from all over the world to come to switzerland to experience for themselves the power and performance of nanoflowcell technology. on the tcs circuit in hinwil, the quantino and quant fe are presenting themselves as fully - fledged electric vehicles that will deliver a major boost to electric mobility. their nanoflowcell drive dispenses with the restricted speeds, inadequate ranges and laborious battery - charging processes normally associated with electric vehicles .
nanoflowcell® electric vehicles are easy to “recharge” with bi - ion. refilling the tank with electrolyte liquid is almost identical to the refuelling process for vehicles with internal combustion engines, just that nanoflowcell® vehicles need two liquids (one positive and one negative electrolyte) to be filled into two separate tanks simultaneously .
nanoflowcell are building quite a range of concept and pre - production models at the geneva motor show 2015. the nanoflewcell quantino electric sportscar previews a small sports car to join the sedan styled concept cars they have previously released. we took a look at the car on the nanoflowcell stand at geneva .
as part of a corporate restructuring process, the former nanoflowcell ag based in lichtenstein has been given the addendum ip (intellectual property) and moved as nanoflowcell ip ag to stans in switzerland, where all of the company’s patent, trade mark and property rights are now grouped. in parallel, a new administrative holding company, nanoflowcell holdings ltd. , has been founded in london / gb. this will be responsible for all business transactions going forward .
' the potential of the nanoflowcell is much greater, especially in terms of domestic energy supplies as well as in maritime, rail and aviation technology.'
' we' ve got major plans, and not just within the automobile industry,' says nanoflowcell ag chairman of the board professor jens - peter ellermann.' the potential of the nanoflowcell is much greater, especially in terms of domestic energy supplies as well as in maritime, rail and aviation technology'
quant fe und quantino stellen sich einem kritischen medienpublikum: erste testfahrten mit den nanoflowcell - prototypen geben ausblick auf die elektromobilität der zukunft... . more
the quantino is the latest scion of nanoflowcell ag, pairing contemporary luxury and eco - power to create a new vision of electromobility... . more
' we' ve got major plans, and not just within the automobile industry,' says nanoflowcell ag chairman of the board professor jens - peter ellermann .
in the beginning, there was the electric vehicle – and with nanoflowcell®, the vision of sustainable and clean mobility is now finally possible... . more
nanoflowcell® is the product brand used by nanoflowcell holdings ltd for its proprietary flow - cell based energy - storage technology. similar to a combination of battery and fuel cell, all that nanoflowcell requires for energy storage and conversion is a non - toxic, non - flammable and environmentally friendly electrolyte liquid called bi - ion developed by nanoflowcell research sa. the manufacturing costs for the bi - ion electrolyte liquid on an industrial scale are estimated at considerably less than ten cents per liter. the distribution and sale of the electrolyte liquid does not present a problem, as it is not subject to any onerous environmental obligations and could be handled via existing refueling infrastructures .
specialist automaker nanoflowcell sees its quantino 48v break the barrier while driving in downtown zurich with the vehicle’s advanced self - diagnosis system still not ready to enter “maintenance” mode .
the flow cell technology of nanoflowcell will score the ecological hattrick of forward - looking energy production and storage that is clean, sustainable and cost efficient... . more
‘redox’ liquid batteries like this were invented in the 1950s and improved by nasa in the 1970s, but the much greater energy density through single - use electrolytes is nanoflowcell’s breakthrough .
nanoflowcell receives confirmed order for 500 quant and 25, 000 quantino electric vehicles with low - voltage flow cell drive - contract value of more than 3. 1 billion euro .
produced by the car maker nanoflowcell, the quant fe is driven by four electric motors and uses two fuel tanks of electrolytic fluids, one positively charged and one negatively charged .
according to nanoflowcell, which has administrative headquarters in london, the technology used by the quantino and quant fe concept cars could eclipse all others in a future minimal - carbon world .
the future of e - mobility comes in the impressive shell of an quant 48volt. more impressive is the performance of the nanoflowcell 48volt low - voltage drive in the quant 48volt .
on the current development status of nanoflowcell technology and its imminent marketing, la vecchia adds :
nanoflowcell technology is market ready and we intend to bring this truly unique energy - storage solution to market shortly as a licensing product. we anticipate an enormous market, because forecasts predict that 2. 7 billion cars will be on our roads worldwide by 2050 more than double the present number. if all of these vehicles were to run on nanoflowcell technology by then, it would reduce annual co2 emissions by around eight billion tons and costs per vehicle by up to 40 percent. and this only covers the automotive industry. our flow - cell based nanoflowcell technology can be used anywhere electric drives and electric systems consume energy in aircrafts, ships, and railways as well as an energy source for stationary applications such as emergency energy systems for critical applications. nanoflowcell is 100 percent environmentally compatible and sustainable. i am certain our technology will change the world .
nanoflowcell ag, a lichtenstein - based company behind the drive, is now planning to test the car on public roads in germany and elsewhere in europe as the company prepares for series production .
nanoflowcell is running real - world trials of its quantino 48v to showcase the technology as a cleaner, greener and less - costly alternative to lithium - ion - powered battery - electric vehicles .
e - mobility critics are questioning the environmental compatibility and sustainability of alternative energy vehicles. electric cars are, for many, a mediocre compromise of zero - emissions driving with “dirty” energy and environmentally harmful technology. nanoflowcell offers an environmentally friendly, no - compromise energy alternative – and not only for electric vehicles. water vapour emissions are the only “exhaust gases” generated by nanoflowcell... . more
the nanoflowcell quant fe was added to the game in the enduro update and is the first electric elite car in the game and the second class s elite car, after the devel sixteen prototype .
give nunzio la vecchia credit for being blunt, if not exactly accurate. the chief technology officer of nanoflowcell holdings recently touted his company' s so - called flow - cell battery technology in a
for a vehicle powered by a nanoflowcell, the calculation is simple – the more bi - ion, the greater the available energy and thus the greater the range. we already know this from petrol - driven vehicles. unlike with conventional batteries, the performance of a nanoflowcell® is not dependent on the size of the cell, but on the concentration and quantity of the electrolyte liquid feeding into it .
the consideration of a stock market flotation is explained as follows by nunzio la vecchia, member of the administrative board and chief technology officer of nanoflowcell holdings ltd :
we stand at the beginning of a technological revolution. we have been extremely successful in proving the feasibility of nanoflowcell technology as the most forward - looking energy - storage solution for electric drives. with a stock market listing, we would raise awareness for nanoflowcell technology and offer our employees, business partners and interested investors a fascinating opportunity to share in the success of one of the most promising and versatile technologies of our time. the flotation is less about accessing new financial resources which are not strictly necessary for our continued growth and far more about securing our corporate independence in respect of how we research, develop and market nanoflowcell technology .
research company nanoflowcell, which revealed two electric car concepts powered by liquid - battery technology last year, is in talks with a “large manufacturer that is not german” about putting the quantino concept into production .
disruptive innovations start out as small, niche innovations and often go on to spark a market revolution. the success stories of disruptive innovations are not written by the large, established corporations, but by small, young companies such as nanoflowcell. they are flexible and free from rigid, innovation - adverse hierarchies. how does the approach of nanoflowcell holdings ltd differ from that of tesla motors? ... more
the interior has also been updated, with newly - colored two - tone seats visible through the open gullwing in one of the pictures nanoflowcell released ahead of the debut. we' ll have to get a closer look in geneva to see what else is going on inside. we' ll be on the floor of the show starting march 7 and intend to make our annual stop at nanoflowcell' s booth .
overall, the nanoflowcell quant fe is the second fastest electric car in the game, but only in the hands of skilled drivers, due to its handling being the worst in the game. the car has no use in time - limited events except for nanoflowcell - only events and electric car - only events. in many cases, the mercedes - benz silver lightning is still a better substitute for the quant fe .
and quant fe, the electric sports car with acceleration of 2. 8 seconds from zero to 100 km / h and a (limited) top speed of more than 280 km / h. both are different concepts for nanoflowcell applications. the quantino is equipped with a (world first !) low - voltage drive system, while the drive system in the quant fe demonstrates a high - voltage application of nanoflowcell technology .
when a months - old company called nanoflowcell ag showed up at the geneva motor show in march 2014, debuting its prototype for a “supercar” powered by saltwater - filled flow battery, onlookers appeared intrigued but skeptical .
nanoflowcell® marks the start of the modern era of mobile energy carriers. a compact flow cell with scalable output for a variety of applications. powerful enough to drive sports cars fully electrically. cost - effective, for affordable e - mobility. environmentally compatible for sustainable use. absolutely safe - in use and to health. in combination with bi - ion, nanoflowcell® surpasses all currently available battery technologies for static and mobile applications... . more
with this leaner architecture, nanoflowcell claims the system currently is not only the most environmentally friendly ev drivetrain but also the inherently safest, most compact, powerful and cost - effective electric - drive technology now offered by the automotive industry .
the company says that conventional gas tanks can more cheaply be retrofitted to carry the liquids than the cost of building plug - in vehicle recharging stations. additionally, a nanoflowcell - equipped vehicle can be filled up in about five minutes .
the bi - ion electrolytes cannot be recharged. after chemical energy has been converted to electrical energy in the nanoflowcell - the actual cell - the electrolytes are
spent
. in mobile use of the nanoflowcell, such as an electric car, we decided to filter the dissolved salts and electrolytes out of the solution and to vaporise the liquid - water - into the atmosphere while the vehicle is driving. the filter with the salts and electrolytes has to be changed roughly every 10, 000 kilometres and can then be disposed of in an ecologically responsible manner. because the bi - ion tanks empty while driving, they can be conveniently refilled. instead of the laborious and time - consuming charging procedure for electric cars, it requires only a refuelling process similar to the regular one for vehicles with combustion engines. the nanoflowcell energy storage medium in the quant fe is an
open
fuel cell - which distinguishes the nanoflowcell from conventional redox fuel cells .
but it might be soon. far from being a particularly graphic swear word, the quant f is a development of the quant e - it made its worldwide premiere at this week’s geneva motor show courtesy of its maker, nanoflowcell ag .
it’s also making progress with an aircraft manufacturer to provide an alternative on - board power source to lithium - ion batteries. and the company says there’s no reason why nanoflowcell tech couldn’t power trains, boats, satellites or even your home. with the fuel costing around 10 cents per litre to produce, they see it effectively rewriting the global economy. the ambition is palpable. but while american universities say they find nanoflowcell’s technology plausible, european institutions have poo - pooed it .
nanoflowcell first showed its 48 v electrical system on the more modest, everyday - driver quantino concept, which debuted next to the 1, 075 - hp quant f at the 2015 geneva motor show. after running through a couple of years of quantino testing and development, nanoflowcell announced last month that it had readied a variably controllable flow cell, allowing it to drop the supercapacitors it had previously relied on to store energy and regulate current flow, saving both weight and money .
as usual, the juice spinning those motors comes from the flow cell, where it' s the result of the electrochemical reaction of two electrolyte solutions separated by a membrane. nanoflowcell explains how it optimized this process in its 48 v system :
more and more private energy consumers want to detach themselves from (inter) national energy policies and source their energy needs on their own in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. there are a number of renewable energy sources available for climate - friendly generation of power and heat for private households. however, until now, private investment in individual energy independence hasn’t made financial sense. nanoflowcell® can change this. nanoflowcell® is a regenerative energy: environmentally friendly, affordable and independent... . more
nanoflowcell is adamant they are a tech company, not a carmaker. and the quantino, and its 920bhp super - limo sister, the quant fe, are merely demonstrators of the tech. both have been road legalised, but will never be sold .
research and development company nanoflowcell holdings this week received and confirmed an order for 500 quant 48volt and 25, 000 quantino 48volt vehicles. the purchaser is an international consortium of investors. this stands as an indirect validation of the business plan presented by nanoflowcell holdings. the plan provides for the construction of a pilot facility for the series production (ckd) of quant low - voltage vehicles as well as the manufacture of nanoflowcells and bi - ion electrolyte liquid, marking the start of a new era for electric mobility .
the phenomenal force with which the four electric motors accelerate the quant fe pastes a broad grin on the faces of the test drivers. besides the fun - factor of the acceleration, one thing is clear - nanoflowcell technology is a serious alternative as an electric drive for an environmentally friendly and sustainable future generation of vehicles. some participants in the test drive session declared nanoflowcell an unrivalled technology for future electric vehicles. suddenly, the general wishful thinking surrounding a future of electric cars seems to have taken on concrete forms .
but as one european automaker by the name of nanoflowcell will tell you, there’s a third way that combines the best of liquid refueling and battery packs in something called a redox flow battery — or as it prefers to call them, a nanoflowcell battery. and while the company itself is just four years old, the company has just announced that it will be demonstrating the latest in a line of prototype electric vehicles at this year’s geneva motor show that it hopes will revolutionize the way we think about electric cars .
extensive test cycles are reaching end phase. nanoflowcell has been fine tuned to a mobile environment – the most advanced electric vehicle on roads today. join quantino on one of his recent test drives - 1, 167 kilometre on swiss highways... . more
the concept is billed as an affordable application of the nanoflowcell technology, rather than the quant e and quant f models which have focused on performance moreso than day to day usability. the design features 22 inch wheels and a 2 + 2 - seater interior layout .
nanoflowcell’s flow cell energy is clean and environmentally friendly energy produced from a ground - breaking new electrolyte liquid called bi - ion. bi - ion is the result of two decades of research and development in the field of molecular nano - technology at the digilab, the r & d center of nanoflowcell holdings. it was here that scientists developed a specific molecule, modified on a nano - technical level to store an adequate amount of energy to efficiently provide electric sports cars or even entire neighbourhoods with electric power... . more
it' s that time of year again. the geneva motor show is approaching and nanoflowcell is showing the latest version of the quant, its ever - developing, flow battery - powered electric sports car concept. unlike the quants of nanoflowcell past, the new 750 - hp quant 48volt sees its voltage drop precipitously, from 700 v on last year' s quant fe to the namesake 48 v. performance doesn' t drop at all, though, at least not on the latest piece of paper nanoflowcell has issued. in fact, it only gets better: 0 - 62 mph (100 km / h) in 2. 4 seconds, a 186 - mph (300 - km / h) top speed and a 620 - mile (1, 000 - km) range .
electric mobility has an acceptance problem. technological concepts are inadequate and political solutions insufficiently stringent. between expedient optimism on the part of industry and non - strategic activity on the political side, the infrastructure problems of charging batteries is emerging as the main issue hampering electric mobility. electric mobility should be suitable for the masses – by hook or by crook – but there is no comprehensive charging infrastructure. one solution is refillable batteries like nanoflowcell. a comprehensive fuel - station network suitable for use by nanoflowcell electric vehicles already exists... . more
nanoflowcell is a company, registered in liechtenstein, presenting cars that are claimed to be using flow cell batteries to power cars. these flow cell batteries are supposed to be fueled by salt water of two types ,
organic
and
non - organic
salt .
the quant f about to undergo crash testing in germany and the usa, though nanoflowcell is less enthralled by this prospect. “i must say the idea of putting such a fascinating car through a crash test really grates on me, ” chief technical officer nunzio la vecchia explains .
low voltage is usually used for low - speed stuff like golf karts and mobility scooters, but because the nanoflowcell system produces high current at low - rated voltage, la vecchia says he can get away with much smaller wires without the resultant losses and heat build - up .
our “media” section contains the latest press releases, photos and video material on our company and products for use by journalists and disseminators of information. should you require further information or additional image or film material from the world of nanoflowcell®, please don’t hesitate to get in touch .
bi - ion is the liquid energy carrier for the nanoflowcell®. the power density of the electrolyte is comparable with that of modern lithium - ion batteries, but its energy density is five times greater. bi - ion is the perfect fuel for environmentally compatible and sustainable electric drive .
yet nanoflowcell — which was founded in liechtenstein (europe’s fourth - smallest country) before moving its engineering division over the border to switzerland and its business division to london — says it has solved both of those problems with its latest nanoflowcell technology, producing a flow cell stack made up of six flow cells in parallel that can produce the low voltage and high current required of them to power the quant 48volt’s quartet of 120 kilowatt electric motors. with variable power output, the company says the system is lighter and less complex than previous generation systems too, lowering overall cost .
the future of e - mobility comes in the impressive shell of an quant 48volt. more impressive is the performance of the nanoflowcell 48volt low - voltage drive in the quant 48volt - the lightest, safest, most environmentally compatible and economical powertrain system currently driving electric mobility... . more
that density, in energy stored per litre of fuel, is still far short of diesel oil at 600 watt - hours versus 10, 000, but whereas a diesel engine loses up to 80% of its energy as heat, the nanoflowcell system is claimed to be more than 95% efficient .
at the current development status, we are achieving an energy density of 600 wh per litre with bi - ion. compared with lithium - ion batteries of the kind used in most electric vehicles, a nanoflowcell® running on bi - ion delivers sufficient energy for five times the range of a conventional electric vehicle .
interestingly, nanoflowcell is also labeling the quant fe as
near - series maturity
, suggesting that it too could influence a production model in the future. the car maker says the model has been completely redesigned since its 2015 launch ,
with a keen eye on homologation requirements
. [ 1 ]
with the 2017 quant 48volt, nanoflowcell packages that new 48 v technology inside the quant supercar concept it first hit the scene with back in 2014, creating a car with more unbelievable (quite literally) numbers than ever. the quant 48volt has an all - wheel - drive layout of four low - voltage motors, teaming up to create 751 hp. the motors have been redesigned for this latest concept car and rely on a
solid aluminium net structure
in place of the copper windings familiar in electric motor design. nanoflowcell says this reduces the volume, weight and cost of the motor while also making series production simpler .
innovative charge carrier. bi - ion is one of our most important innovations and crucial to the power characteristics of the nanoflowcell® system. through years of research, we have succeeded in developing special charge carriers that give our electrolyte liquid a significantly higher power and energy density than all fluid batteries currently available on the market .
obviously there’s a complete lack of infrastructure right now, but nanoflowcell rightly argues that the same was said of electric car charging not too long ago, and whereas charging needs monster investment, lots of parking space and puts strain on the national grid, its system could be retrofitted to existing fuel stations. which is nice .
chief technical officer and inventor of the nanoflowcell nunzio la vecchia says ,
the ionic fluid is non - flammable and non - toxic, and there are no emissions or high pressures involved. as a result, he adds, on - board storage is straightforward and establishing a filling station network simple and relatively cheap .
as it’s a prototype, cost hasn’t been mentioned yet — but if we’re honest we don’t yet think we’ll see a nanoflowcell car on the roads any time soon. as something of an unknown automaker, the various quant prototypes we’ve seen from nanoflowcell (both in conjunction with its partnership with swedish hypercar manufacturer koenigsegg and on its own) have been impressive on paper but as yet have not resulted in a practical production model you can buy. and while flow cell technology does have its benefits over traditional electrochemical batteries (such as negligible degradation over time and quick refuelling time) it’s essentially marred by the same problems affecting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles: refuelling infrastructure and power density .
yes, just like a regular electric car. it accelerates smartly – nanoflowcell claims a five second run to 62mph – and though it doesn’t feel quite that snappy, there’s all the performance you’d ever reasonably expect from a small hatch here. the regenerative effort on the brakes is subtle. immediately, quentin feels like it’s been thoughtfully set up .
the quant 40volt will run on an electrolyte liquid called' bio - ion' developed by nanoflowcell research gmbh, and is said to be
non - toxic, non - flammable and environmentally compatible
. the best news, however, is that it will be significantly cheaper than traditional gasoline, costing just 10 cents per liter. when running on this technology, the quant 40volt will have an impressive driving range of over 620 miles. the specs are equally impressive. nanoflowcell says the quant 40volt will have
sports car performance ,
provided by six cells arranged in a series, and four new, innovative low - voltage electric motors that generate a combined power output of 760 horsepower .
please let us know if you would like to receive the latest flowmagazine articles and nanoflowcell info by email. this service comes to you free of charge. we will, of course, keep your data confidential - your email address will be used to provide you with flowmagazine articles only. look forward to thought triggering and entertaining news! your editor team
farther – faster – greener! quantino with nanoflowcell drive achieves the impossible for electric cars: 1, 000 km in 8: 21 hours! with the drive based on modern flow cell technology, the young r & d company is demonstrating to automakers how environmentally friendly and economical electric mobility can be made fit for the future... . more
the “strombegleitung” (electricity evaluation) study forecasts that the expansion of electromobility will fail due to raw material bottlenecks in the manufacture of lithium - ion batteries. experts are thus calling for an intensification of research into alternative battery technologies and energy carriers for use in electric vehicles. nanoflowcell ag already possesses this alternative technology of the future... . more
the big selling point of the low - voltage electrical system is that it makes the vehicle safer, nanoflowcell illustrating that point by mentioning that you can go ahead and touch the flow cell' s poles without worrying about frying yourself. the liquids used are neither flammable or explosive, so even less worry weighing on the quant driver' s mind .
so, yep, nanoflowcell is really kicking ass when it comes to vapor. . er. . nano tech. or so it tells it. the company must really like the phrase
we' ll believe it when we see it
because there' s generally nothing else to say after seeing the outlandish claims surrounding its annual concept cars .
because, la vecchia says, he’s a car enthusiast, so it made sense to refine the concept in a cool - looking, fun - to - drive car. the quantino is at least that. now it’s up him and nanoflowcell to show their working, and then for the world’s fuel and transport giants to see if it’s worth investing in .
it uses four motors powered by electricity generated by a bespoke fuel cell. but, unlike ‘conventional’ hydrogen fuel cells such as that found in honda’s fcx, which produce power by combine hydrogen and oxygen, nanoflowcell’s apparently unique technology runs on two ionic fluids - one positively charged and one negative - stored in a pair of 250 - litre on - board tanks .
many of the questions posed by the media primarily addressed the way the nanoflowcell works, the performance of the system and the production, distribution and use of the bi - ion electrolyte liquid. flow cell technology in an electric vehicle is new and certainly not easy to grasp in an instant. we therefore compiled a selection of the most important questions and answers .
scared of high voltage in cars? in the field of electric mobility, there was previously no alternative to high - voltage traction systems. however, the nanoflowcell low - voltage drive system enables a high - performance powertrain to operate at low voltages and shows that electric vehicles can be powerful, cost - efficient and safe at the same time... . more
okay, the ergonomics aren’t great, but the finish is strong. leather and neat stitching surround tight - fitting alloy buttons for park, reverse, neutral and drive. the instruments are fully digital and pleasingly sharp and attractive. there are no bits of dangling velcro or exposed wires i’m asked to overlook or avoid touching. the nanoflowcell system whines away in the background .
many of the invited journalists had inspected the new electric offerings from leading vehicle makers just a few days previously at the paris motor show - mondial de l' automobile 2016 - only to make the sober realisation that progress in electric mobility is sometimes relative. and likely only to be seen from nanoflowcell technology. so is it set to end the stagnation of modern electric mobility ?
it has lightning fast acceleration too, with a 0 - 62 mph time of just 2. 4 seconds which puts it in tesla territory, while the top speed is electronically limited to 186 mph. question is, will the quant 40volt enter production? nanoflowcell has been showing off concept cars, but has yet to manufacture any of them, but it' s possible the technology could be licensed to other companies .
we are in close contact with the industry and i can well imagine that the new concept of the nanoflowcell 48 - volt low - voltage drive will be implemented together with an industrial partner in a stand - alone quant prototype ,
a spokesperson commented in an interview with german site mittelstand nachrichten. more will be revealed next month at geneva .
research needs unexpectedly bring the long sought - after breakthrough with the quantino. its nanoflowcell low - voltage drive delivers compelling results without cost - intensive and heavy supercaps serving as energy buffers. what started out as an emergency solution developed into an outstanding system benefit. the drive system in electric vehicles can now be designed to be even lighter and more cost - effective... . more
yes, the quant e - sportlimousine was snazzy, and enough research was being done to suggest that liquid - flow batteries (which combine the technologies in regular batteries and fuel cells) could be the future of electric cars, but there was good reason to question the car’s prospects. nanoflowcell’s founder, nunzio la vecchia, had brought another “quant” car to geneva before, in 2009, which never made it past the auto show circuit. and though la vecchia insisted that nanoflowcell’s 2014 prototype was completely different, few were convinced that it would ever be seen on actual roads. “it’s possible we can see this type of system utilized in the next few decades, ” wrote topspeed. com. “so check back with topspeed in 20 years or so for any updates. ”
say hello to quantino. it’s the tiny, city car - sized sister to the quant fe sportlimousine, the giant gullwing ultra - limo we’ve seen at recent geneva motor shows. and the interesting bit isn’t the name, or the bizarre looks. it’s the zero carbon - footprint, zero - emission propulsion system, the brainchild of a company called nanoflowcell, backed by a mysterious group of shareholders and business owners…
named ‘bi - ion’, the fluid is a water solution containing both organic and inorganic salts. nasa gave up on this tech in the 1970s because the energy density was so poor, but nanoflowcell’s enigmatic and enthusiastic chief technical officer nunzio la vecchia’s 16 years of work on the chemistry has apparently yielded the necessary breakthrough to beat a lithium - ion battery’s storage capacity, so far as kwh per kilo are concerned .
normally, flow cells can be replenished by recharging like any other battery, or simply by replacing the fluid. the nanoflowcell quant fe works differently. as it discharges, the water - based ‘ionic’ fluid electrolyte evaporates, leaving the storage tanks empty and ready for refilling. quant cars can be refuelled at a pump using a two - pronged nozzle to fill both the ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ tanks at the same time .
in our quant fe and quantino prototype vehicles, the electric motors are not fed directly from the nanoflowcell. instead, the nanoflowcell supplies electricity to a temporary storage medium - supercapacitors, also known as supercaps. compared with normal batteries of the same weight, supercaps have only ten percent of their energy density, but their power density is up to 100 times greater. supercaps can be charged and drained extremely quickly and thus provide a great deal of energy for phenomenal acceleration and high - speed driving. in regular driving mode, the power density of the flow cell would be sufficient to drive the quant fe on its own without the need supercaps. for the next development phase, our engineers have set themselves the target of supplying the motors with energy directly from the flow cell. eliminating the need for supercaps would deliver cost and weight savings .
the restructuring has established a solid and clearly ordered basis for the company' s future development, aimed at strengthening the position of the firm within a challenging competitive environment. the choice of london was an obvious one for the company' s future orientation. following intensive and successful discussions with investors conducted over recent months, nanoflowcell holdings ltd is considering stock market flotation (ipo) as a possible option for further corporate development .
following the reveal of the quantf at last year’s geneva motor show, liechtenstein - based company nanoflowcell ag has teased its latest creation ahead of its debut at the 2017 geneva show in march. called the quant 40volt, the electric sports car will benefit from the world’s first variable - controllable mobile flow cell that provides a
constant source of electrical energy and all - new low - voltage electric motors providing propulsion of race - car proportions .
it has previously not been possible to vary the control of flow cells directly, meaning they needed buffer storage, so - called supercapacitors, to be able to manage the flow of current for regulating driving speed ,
nanoflowcell explained in that announcement .
however, supercapacitors are very expensive and comparatively heavy. the breakthrough with the new low - voltage flow cell drive in the quantino 48volt is that it will no longer require supercapacitors .
to its credit, nanoflowcell did put autocar and top gear behind the wheel of the quant fe and quantino last october, but the test drives were far from the in - depth shakedown those following the story are waiting for. before that type of thorough review, claims like 2. 4 seconds to 62 mph (one of the quickest in the world) and 620 miles of range will be greeted with healthy skepticism, if not rolling eyeballs .
even without electric drive, the quant fe is an amazing car - all the high - tech in this vehicle, the shutlines and the premium workmanship are so untypical for prototypes. fantastic !
said one enthusiastic journalist. and that' s the problem the quant models have to wrestle with as ambassadors for a new kind of energy storage technology: their avant - garde design distracts from the actual technological innovation of these vehicles - the nanoflowcell system installed within .
for physicists, the state of health of schrödinger’s cat is a fascinating thought exercise in the quantum - mechanical view of the world. a company like nanoflowcell holdings ltd, on the other hand, embraces the knowledge of quantum - mechanical methods to model molecules for new kinds of electrolytes – bi - ion. it is a virtual development to solve real - life problems in the sustainable and environmentally compatible structuring of our electric mobility and stationary energy supply... . more
the nanoflowcell quant fe qualifies as a mid - range class s car, with an unusually high starting rank of 1582 (shared with the cadillac 16 concept), a max rank of 1673 (shared with the lamborghini aventador sv), and a max + pro rank of 1735. the quant fe receives + 23 from tuning kits. due to its upgrade rank percentages, mapping an elite tuning in favor of high speed actually decreases the quant fe' s rank .
like its predecessors, the all - new prototype boasts an impressive performance on paper, with a claimed 186 mph top speed and a 2. 4 - second 0 - 62 mph time, along with a claimed range in excess of 600 miles on the standard nedc test cycle. yet unlike all of the other high - powered electric sports cars and concepts we’ve seen over the years there’s something particularly unusual about the aptly named nanoflowcell quant 48volt: it runs on 48 - volts .
bi - ion is an aqueous solution of organic and inorganic salts, which is required to transport the actual electrolytes. these new electrolytes, developed by us, are the actual charge carriers. we achieved a breakthrough in energy density for liquid electrolytes with bi - ion because we didn' t want to be able to recharge the electrolytes - as is normal in other electrolyte solutions used for redox flow cells. we concentrated our efforts fully on the design of ions suitable for carrying a high level of electric charge. the nanoflowcell thus has ten to 12 times the energy density of regular redox flow cells (e. g. zinc - bromide battery) and four to five times the energy density of the lithium - ion batteries currently used in electric vehicles. for the time being, we are bridging the lower power density of a flow - cell based energy - storage medium in the nanoflowcell drive system through the use of temporary storage with very high power density - so - called supercaps .
owing to its extreme weight, the nanoflowcell quant fe has various weaknesses, even as an elite car, but also does have a few performance advantages. the quant fe has a really quick acceleration, surprising given its weight of 5071 lb (2300 kg). being one of the largest and heaviest cars in the game, the nanoflowcell quant fe is the worst handling car in the game, with poor cornering and drifting capabilities. in fact, it is the heaviest electric car in the game, even more so than the tesla model s. ironically, the quant fe' s handling stat is shown to start as 1. 300 gs, unlike the cadillac 16 concept and devel sixteen, both of which correctly start as 1. 100 gs. additionally, being a nitro - focused car, the quant fe' s top speed isn' t overly decent either. the quant fe' s nitro efficiency of 6 / 12 / 16, on the flip side, is decent enough to warrant good performance on tokyo .
outside of a mention about oems having an
extremely high level of interest
in the new 48 v technology, nanoflowcell' s latest materials don' t offer much in the way of when we might actually see more than a show car, prototype, or paper list of numbers and superlatives. perhaps it' ll have more news on that front in geneva. perhaps we' ll just be snapping photos of the latest pretty quant and forgetting all about it until the next one surfaces a year from now .
geneva motor show has established itself as one of the world’s most important automotive trade fairs. the last one hundred years have seen many automotive trends born here, plenty of oddities presented and a wealth of automotive technological excellence offered. more than virtually any other, the motor show at the foot of mont salève is also a magnet for concept studies, exotic vehicles, super sports cars and low - volume models. it is here that nanoflowcell holdings will present the quant 48volt to the public for the first time... . more
the nanoflowcell system powers a car’s electric motor, or motors, by means of ion exchange between a positively charged liquid and a negatively charged one. the liquids — mainly water carrying an as yet undisclosed mix of organic and inorganic salts (“engineered by nanotechnology”) as an electrolyte — are kept in separate on - board tanks and circulated by pumps into the flowcell, in which a semi - permeable membrane, like a fuel cell’s, keeps the liquids separate while allowing ions within them to cross. this creates an electric charge at the membrane .
press the turned metal button on the windowline and open the long, lightweight door. there are two fixed - back bucket seats inside. the quantino was designed as a 2 + 2, but the prototype’s nanoflowcell system sits where the rear seats would be for ease of maintenance. vision to the rear is extremely limited as a result. as is headroom in the front. i’m six - foot - one, and i’m hunched behind the steering wheel, aiming not to trip up on the pedals arranged way off towards the middle of the car .
, la vecchia says his company' s battery -
refueling
proposition is far better than recharging vehicles. the concept is that, instead of a 1, 500 - pound lithium - ion battery that can take hours to fully recharge, nanoflowcell' s set - up includes two tanks – one with positive liquid electrolytes and one with negative liquid electrolytes – that can carry 40 gallons, as well as a shoebox - sized flow cell. there, the positive and negative electrolytes (similar to salt water) react to create the power that ends up moving the vehicle .
the nanoflowcell’s quant 48volt doesn’t have to worry about battery voltage drop in the same way that a traditional battery electric car does, since it produces electricity by passing two oppositely - charged electrolytic solutions either side of a special catalyst - rich membrane that enables ion exchange from one side to the other, producing electricity in the process. since the system power output is restricted by the physical area of the flowcell membrane (and the electrolyte is pumped through the membrane from the ‘charged’ tank to the ’empty’ tank), power output from the cell remains constant regardless of how ‘full’ the tank is .
on technical tracks like iceland, dubai, and sector 8, the same cannot be said, though – the nanoflowcell quant fe, as stated above, fails to handle and drift well, causing it to not take sharp corners well. even in the hands of a skilled driver, the quant fe will need a lot of careful handling as making even the slightest mistake can wreck the car at the sharp turns. the quant fe is not suitable for use on these tracks. as with cars with poor handling, when approaching a corner that requires drifting, it is recommended to drift early .
nanoflowcell says its car can go for 370 miles on a single charge. among the other (somewhat outlandish, and as yet unverified) claims: it takes 2. 8 seconds to go from 0 to 62 miles per hour (the tesla model s takes 4. 2 seconds to do the same); has a top speed of 218 mph (almost 100 mph faster than the tesla s); and peaks at 920 horsepower (compared to 416 for the tesla s). until road tests get underway, though, this might as well be fantasy. at least it’s a beautiful one :
the nanoflowcell 48v flow - cell system in the quantino incorporates three membranes along which the bi - ion electric liquid can be guided in order to react with one another. the continuous output of the installed flow cell system is 80 to 90 kw. via a dc / dc transformer, the flow cell supplies a constant feed of controllable low - voltage energy directly to the 107 - hp electric motor. this is enough power to accelerate the quantino 48v from 0 - 62 mph (100 km / h) in about five seconds and enables it to maintain a top speed of 124 mph (200 km / h).
nanoflowcell is a swiss-based research and development company active in the field of flow cell battery technology . the company has registered offices in kilchberg , switzerland and london , united kingdom . the company was the first to develop a mobile flow battery small enough to be used in electric cars . their flow battery , branded nanoflowcell , was first presented in electric prototype vehicles quant e , quant f and quantino . similar to regular redox flow batteries , the nanoflowcell battery uses electrolyte fluids to generate electricity from chemical compounds . unlike the electrolytes in vanadium flow batteries or polysulfide bromide flow batteries , the electrolyte used in the nanoflowcell is said to be non-toxic and environmentally compatible . while the company is not releasing its electrolyte formula prior to its first sales , their publications state that the electrolyte used in the nanoflowcell battery has an energy density of 600 wh per litre , which is ten times the energy density of regular redox flow cells . production costs for this " non-flammable and non-explosive " electrolyte are said to be below 10 cents per litre . while european research institutes and experts question the adequacy of flow cell designs for use in electric cars , scientists at the illinois institute of technology ( iit ) in the usa recently claimed to have developed an equally powerful flow cell designed for use in electric vehicles . 
nanoflowcell is a swiss-based research and development company active in the field of flow cell battery technology. the company has registered offices in kilchberg, switzerland and london, united kingdom. the company was the first to develop a mobile flow battery small enough to be used in electric cars. their flow battery, branded nanoflowcell, was first presented in electric prototype vehicles quant e, quant f and quantino. similar to regular redox flow batteries, the nanoflowcell battery uses electrolyte fluids to generate electricity from chemical compounds. unlike the electrolytes in vanadium flow batteries or polysulfide bromide flow batteries, the electrolyte used in the nanoflowcell is said to be non-toxic and environmentally compatible. while the company is not releasing its electrolyte formula prior to its first sales, their publications state that the electrolyte used in the nanoflowcell battery has an energy density of 600 wh per litre, which is ten times the energy density of regular redox flow cells. production costs for this " non-flammable and non-explosive " electrolyte are said to be below 10 cents per litre. while european research institutes and experts question the adequacy of flow cell designs for use in electric cars, scientists at the illinois institute of technology (iit) in the usa recently claimed to have developed an equally powerful flow cell designed for use in electric vehicles.
nanoflowcell is a swiss-based research and development company active in the field of flow cell battery technology. the company has registered offices in kilchberg, switzerland and london, united kingdom. the company was the first to develop a mobile flow battery small enough to be used in electric cars. their flow battery, branded nanoflowcell, was first presented in electric prototype vehicles quant e, quant f and quantino. similar to regular redox flow batteries, the nanoflowcell battery uses electrolyte fluids to generate electricity from chemical compounds. unlike the electrolytes in vanadium flow batteries or polysulfide bromide flow batteries, the electrolyte used in the nanoflowcell is said to be non-toxic and environmentally compatible. while the company is not releasing its electrolyte formula prior to its first sales, their publications state that the electrolyte used in the nanoflowcell battery has an energy density of 600 wh per litre, which is ten times the energy density of regular redox flow cells. production costs for this " non-flammable and non-explosive " electrolyte are said to be below 10 cents per litre. while european research institutes and experts question the adequacy of flow cell designs for use in electric cars, scientists at the illinois institute of technology (iit) in the usa recently claimed to have developed an equally powerful flow cell designed for use in electric vehicles.