nanoFlowcell QUANTiNO Will Debut In Geneva

How does an affordable, small car with futuristic styling and 600 miles of range from a flow cell battery sound to you? That’s what nanoFlowcell, parent company of the Quant F 1075 horsepower supercar, intends to unveil in just a few weeks at the Geneva International Auto Show.

The nanoFlowcell QUANTiNO is packed with cutting edge technology. Instead of a lithium ion battery like a Tesla or a hydrogen fuel cell like a Toyota Mirai, the QUANTiNO uses a “water battery” that uses two kinds of non-toxic salt water solutions to generate electricity. Two 45 gallon tanks hold the liquid saline and can be refilled easily, says the company.

While the innovative battery represents a true technological breakthrough, the most amazing news is the electric system that propels the car’s 4 electric motors operates on only 48 volts. That’s the same as many cordless power tools.

Most electric cars operate on 300 volts or more. Why only 48 volts for the QUANTiNO? Chief technical officer Nunzio La Vecchia says,

“Low-voltage systems offer various advantages over high-voltage systems, such as are used in electric vehicles today. While high-voltage electric vehicles require complete contact and flashover protection, this is not needed for low-voltage vehicles.

“In accordance with ECE-R 100, no additional measures to prevent accidental contact are necessary for low-voltage systems. This also gives rise to much faster homologation of low-voltage vehicles, as functional safety is more simple to realize.”

The QUANTiNO is said to generate 136 horsepower, enough to push it to a top speed of 120 mph. The car is a mere 12.8 feet long and configured for 2+2 seating.

What exactly does the company mean when it says the QUANTiNO will be affordable? We have no idea at this moment, although more details should be available in Geneva next month. La Vecchia says,

“The QUANTiNO is an electric vehicle for everyone. Affordable and featuring an extravagant, unique design. It is not just a concept vehicle – it will become reality in the course of this year. We will be driving the QUANTiNO in 2015. And we aim to attain approval for road use very quickly.”

Is it possible that while every other manufacturer in the world is searching high and low for the next big thing in batteries, nanoFlowcell has already found it?