I believe the has certainly been neglected for the past few years. Sure a push button start has recently been implemented, but is that really the best innovation that we can do? Why are our cell phones more secure than our vehicles are? You'd think for something worth as much as a car, it should deserve much higher security than simply  key.

At Hawkeye Innovations LLC, we are taking a new approach to the ignition system; one that has been long overdue. We have a custom designed fingerprint ignition system, one that is deadly accurate. Our system employs a sensor with a false acceptance rate of 0.001% (Level 3 Security). This system is extremely accurate, and also has an internal storage which can store up to 160 prints in the system. Our ignition system is reliable and super secure. Just think, why shouldn't you have a more secure ignition system in your car? It just makes sense. It makes sense to have a more secure ignition system.

We also offer our Tri Switch Ignition system, a proprietary system when installed into your car, makes it virtually impenetrable. A special system in which prevents almost anyone from ever stealing the car. That is the security that we should've always had  in our vehicles, and it is our standard to build cars with only highest levels of ignition security. Ignition security should be convenient, but also secure enough to keep your investment safe from thieves. We believe your car should be secure, which is why we continue to innovate the ignition system for the better.

When discussing any vehicle, safety is definitely one of the most important topics. But when discussing an electric vehicle, safety is almost an even bigger topic than that of a combustion engine. First, let's get one fact straight -- anytime you are traveling with a large amount of stored energy i.e. hydrogen, gasoline, or electricity, there will always be a danger. Now from type to type, the dangers can vary, but there will always be a danger with any of those kinds of vehicles, and there has been for a couple hundred years. 

Lithium batteries, thanks to a few spontaneous fires, a couple Samsung cell phones on fire, put lithium batteries under a cloud of caution. Lithium is great for many reasons, but it can also be very dangerous if not treated with respect and caution.

We build our new battery modules out of 1/4 inch Lexan, which is a bulletproof polycarbonate. The 1/4 inch thick material is rated to stop a .22 caliber bullet. While this may seem overkill for our modules, it is important to go overkill in regard to safety. The thick bulletproof box is then assembled with small countersunk stainless steel screws all around the module to create an ultra strong construction. These very tough modules are also mounted to the car through thick steel brackets underneath, securing the modules to the car completely in the case of an accident.

There is also a special switched called an inertia switch implemented in all vehicles. In the case of an accident, on the instant moment of impact this switch shuts down the whole electric vehicle to prevent any kind of runaway event. This was tested in my unfortunate accident with my Electric Celica, upon the instant of being hit, my inertia switch completely shut my car down and prevented any further injury or issues. This is an affordable add on to the electric vehicles that make puts an additional level of important safety on the car.

 Battery technology, something that critics of electric vehicles (EVs) have always pointed out as a clear limitation. And yes, of course battery capacity could always improve more, but is that actually a legitimate reason not to drive an EV? With the average person driving only 29 miles a day, why is it necessary to have 330 miles at your disposal in a day? Even having 110 miles in an EV would be considered more than practical for the majority of people when recharging could be completed overnight. That is like having about 1/3 of a gas car's range at your disposal each day, and the majority of people don't drain 1/3 of their gas tank per day. But even with that example, EV's can still easily exceed 200 miles while still maintaining a decent price with for example, the Chevy Bolt.

But is the future of battery technology capacity, lifespan, or both? While capacity is important, but shouldn't a lot of talk be about lifespan as well? For this example, let's examine the cells we use in the Lightning Bug. These cells are produced by Xalt Energy, and according to their spec sheet, to 80% DOD (Depth of discharge), meaning if you use 80% of the battery's capacity, the cells will be good for 14,000 cycles. So in the Lightning Bug, if you drive 88 of the 110 miles range, then recharge, that is one full cycle. When calculating, if one cycle is 88 miles x 14,000 cycles = 1,232,000 miles. What this means, is that the battery pack in the Lightning Bug will last for 1.232 million miles. Obviously, that will outlive the body of the car, in fact it will last for at least 6-8 vehicles! This presents the opportunity to transfer the battery pack into each vehicle that you own! And since the battery pack is half of the cost of all of the parts in the Lightning Bug, being able to pass down your battery pack for that many years is an enormous advantage compared to the average EV battery pack from manufacturers lasting between 8-15 years.

This is why I believe that the life span of the battery pack needs to be seriously considered as an advantage of EVs, or more specifically the EVs from Hawkeye Innovations LLC utilizing these cells. Being able to hand down your battery pack in your vehicles just adds to the multitudes of savings by already owning and driving an EV!

More to come later on battery technology...