"HK" wrote in message
...



What's really sad to me is that in the late 1970's, GM or Ford or Chrysler
could have decided to allocate enough funds to develop the sort of
batteries we need now to make "electric" cars affordable and practical.
Twenty five years of solid, advancing development would have made a real
difference for us by now.


Research and development of high density batteries for the automotive market
has been going on for at least that long Harry.

Technical breakthroughs come from many sources other than the automobile
manufacturers, although they often help fund it.

In the business I was in I visited two private research facilities that were
working on high output density lithium batteries for the automotive market
and promise of electric and hybrid cars. This was in the early 80's. One
company was a relatively new start-up, the other an existing large battery
manufacturer.

I remember it well because the clean rooms in which the batteries were made
and assembled had to be kept at 5 percent relative humidity or less because
lithium is so reactive with water or water vapor. After putting on the
"bunny suit" and entering the clean room area, you involuntarily gasped for
a breath, the air was so dry.

The scope of development is better done within organizations that specialize
in the technology.

Lithium batteries have come a long way, but they are still not really
practical unless we all radically change our driving habits. And they
still have to be charged which requires energy.

Fuel cell technology is the future.

Eisboch