First published May 16, 2017.
The role of a formulated electrolyte
nanoFlowcell described a vehicle using a formulated electrolyte in a flow-cell system. The liquid is part of the proposed energy technology; ordinary seawater is not interchangeable with it. The company’s technical specifications describe its ambitions for the vehicle, while independently measured performance would show what a working example could deliver.
Sources and further context: nanoFlowcell technology description
nanoFlowcell promoted road-use approval for its QUANT e-Sportlimousine prototype. That claim concerns a particular vehicle and testing context, rather than proving commercial availability across Europe. The car attracted attention because its proposed power system offered a different way to store and use energy. Claims that oil companies had secretly suppressed inventors, including Nikola Tesla, lacked supporting evidence; the vehicle’s specifications do not establish such a history.
Watch the video on YouTube (its owner does not allow it to be played on other sites).
In contrast to conventional cars that consume gasoline, the Quant e-Sportlimousine uses an electrolyte flow cell power system created by NanoFlowcell which was promoted with a stated output of 920 horsepower (689 kW). The prototype was claimed to accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.8 seconds. Its advertised top speed was 217.5 mph (350 km/h).
The vehicle was presented under the QUANT name by nanoFlowcell. The flow-cell proposal attracted attention as an alternative to conventional vehicle energy storage. Whether such a system could provide affordable, lower-impact transport depends on evidence about production, operation and the full energy supply chain.
Additional source: nanoFlowcell: manufacturer’s account of the QUANT project.
Evaluate the vehicle and its energy carrier together
A vehicle using a liquid energy carrier raises questions beyond acceleration and top speed. The liquid must also be produced, transported and replenished, and those stages affect the practicality of the whole system. For the QUANT proposal, the formulated electrolyte is therefore as central to the idea as the car’s striking bodywork. The advertised performance figures express the company’s claims; operating costs and environmental benefits require evidence across the full supply chain.
COMMENTS