Salt water powered car approved for German roads

A car that runs on nanoFLOWCELL salt water technology has received approval for testing on German roads.

“A car that captures the energy of an ocean.” Now if that doesn’t capture your attention, I don’t know what will. The Quant e-Sportlimousine runs on nanoFLOWCELL technology which uses a salt water solution to generate electricity. The Quant made its debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor show in March.

The e-Sportlimousine received its official registration plate from the German Technischer Überwachungsverein (TÜV) Süd in Munich. Now, the company can test the car on public roads in Germany. The car has a peak power of 920 horsepower (680 kW), can go from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 217.5 mph (350 km/h).

The Quant uses nanoFLOWCELL technology, but what does that mean? The nanoFLOWCELL website says flow cells are “chemical batteries that combine aspects of an electrochemical accumulator cell with those of a fuel cell.” An electrochemical reaction involves two liquids combined with metallic salts to form an electrolyte. Then, the solution travels to a fuel cell that creates electricity to be stored in super capacitors until needed by the car’s four electric motors.

Jens-Peter Ellermann, the NanoFLOWCELL AG Chairman of the Board says that “the nanoFLOWCELL offers a wide range of applications as a sustainable, low cost and environmentally-friendly source of energy.”

The flow cell battery can drive 20-times further than a lead acid battery and 5-times further than lithium-ion technology. It even has “5-times greater energy density than previous flow cell technologies,” according to the website. This power could allow the nanoFLOWCELL to become the alternative on-board battery for the aerospace industry, as well as for rail transport. “Flow cells are already in domestic use,” the nanoFLOWCELL website explains, they “could cover the energy needs for individual houses and even whole towns,” too.

The Quant e-Sportlimousine has a rechargeable battery. Apparently, all you have to do is “exchange spent electrolytes,” which can be done from the outside of the vehicle. Like filling up a tank of gas, it will only take a few minutes instead of a few hours.