Electric cars are old hat, but one powered by salt-water, with no emissions, sure stands apart from the rest. Read on to know more about the new nanoFlowcell Quantino
Story: Gaurav Nagpal
Compact cars are often considered poor cousins of their bigger brethren, with lesser space, smaller engines, and no real tech wizardry. Bigger is not always better, though, and smaller can be smarter, as the car on these pages seeks to prove; after all, which car is fuelled by mere salt-water? nanoFlowcell AG seeks to grab eyeballs and lighten purses too with their Quantino, and it sure has strong cred.
First things first. The Quantino indeed is compact, sitting on a 2,400-mm wheelbase, and just 3,910 mm long and 1,335 mm tall. However, though antithetical to typical small car cues, the design flair goes to a whole new level here, with swoopy lines and 22” wheels. The two-door car comfortably seats four people, though that is not its USP.
What sets the Quantino apart from probably all other cars – electric or otherwise – is the fact that it is powered by a salt-water battery. To be precise, two different salt-water ionic solutions — one with a positive charge and one with a negative charge — are pumped through the nanoFlowcell, that is, the battery (hence the name “flow” cell), which also contains an electrode. A membrane separates the two ionic chambers and their respective contents, and the flow generates electricity which, in turn, powers the motor.
The liquids themselves are stored in twin 175-litre tanks, one each for the positive and negative charge. The refuelling process is similar to most cars of today, the key difference being that the two tanks must be filled up simultaneously.
The entire system is a low-voltage drive system operating on a rated voltage of only 48 V. Four three-phase 33.5-PS induction motors power all the four wheels and generate a total system output of 134 PS. Weight and acceleration statistics have not been discussed, but a top speed of 200 km/h is nothing to be sneezed at.
All the high-tech in the automobile world may fall flat at the doors of the eco-brigade, but not this car. True zero emissions and a range exceeding 1,000 km ensure the little Quantino keeps the green flag flying high.
The nanoFlowcell Quantino is a style and technology automobile icon quite unlike most others. Availability of fuel-filling stations is a concern, as is the homologation itself; though the makers are certain the latter will be quick. Prototypes will hit the road some time this year and the final price is expected to be comparable to a typical compact car. Would we not love to see this car in India? With all our complaints about pollution and “hard” water, this might be just what we need.
