Eisboch wrote:

"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.

The USA only has one battery manufacturer. The EPA has been successful
in chasing all of the others out of the country.

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

Mass markets reduce the price of technology. The laptop you own today
out classes the super computer of the 1980's.

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 local fire department near my wife's job knows how to handle lithium
fires.

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.

Lithium has a heat problem when being discharged. All of these Lion
laptop battery recalls are due to heat problems. Compare their size to
the size that would be in an automobile.

Fuel cell technology is the future.

Not with hydrogen, it costs too much.