NanoFlowcell to debut Quantino at Geneva show

This is the Quantino. It’s an electric vehicle that’ll be shown at Geneva next month – and its maker, NanoFlowcell, says it’s almost ready to go into production.

But this isn’t just any old EV. NanoFlowcell isn’t the funkiest name a car maker’s ever had, but it provides a clue to the technology behind what could turn out to be a revolution in the provision of electric power.

A flow cell uses two tanks of charged fluid with a membrane between them. As they’re pumped through the cell, ions flow through the membrane – generating electricity.

This is used to power four electric motors, one at each wheel. These only develop a combined 108bhp, so the Quantino is definitely at the sensible end of the scale despite its sporty looks.

But NanoFlowcell will also be showing the Quant FE, a four-seat concept coupe with 1075bhp and a 0-62 time of 2.8 seconds.

And while this is further away from being production ready, the company says it has been designed ‘with a keen eye on homologation.’

The biggest obstacle in the cars’ way at present is the lack of a refuelling network to supply the fluids their flow cells use. These evaporate slowly during operation, meaning they have to be replenished – unlike with the hydrogen for traditional fuel cells, however, high-pressure storage isn’t necessary, meaning such a network would be relatively simple to set up.

The rate at which the electrolytic fluids evaporate is what defines these cars’ range. And if NanoFlowcell is to be believed, this is much better then what’s currently possible using batteries. An earlier concept version of the Quantino claimed to be able to cover 620 miles between fill-ups.

While the production model may not achieve such eye-popping results (no figures have yet been claimed), the technology is clearly looking to catapult EVs from the bottom of the range pile to the very top. With the fluids being non-toxic and non-flammable, and the process creating zero emissions, an awful lot of boxes seem to be getting ticked here.

While the Quantino is close to being production-ready, NanoFlowcell will be using the Geneva show to assess interest among would-be owners. It will be aiming to showcase the technology behind the car, too – which experts say could find applications in a wide range of other fields.