Batteries

Batteries are the largest obstacle hindering Electric Vehicles. Until we have Teslas' Witricitiy, we will have to develop power storage, including batteries. Battery's have not been in demand apart from our laptops and cell phones, and with those we are mostly content. EV's in the wings is causing a surge in battery development and manufacturing worldwide. One game changing feature will be fast charging. MIT recently anounced that they have run computer models that show iron phosphate can make fast charging of lithium ion batteries a reality.

John Miller says "The new batteries would store nearly 10 times as much energy as an ultracapacitor of the same size. The combination of small size and extreme power could make the batteries particularly useful for race cars", he says. (Starting this year, new Formula One racing rules will allow race cars to store energy from braking to deliver very brief jolts of acceleration.

I believe that if applied to current Hybrids, could greatly improve regen braking, which is where Hybrids gain miles for city driving.

Jeff Dahn, a professor of physics at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This battery is good for acceleration, but not as much for long range. "A real breakthrough . . . would be a new positive electrode material with quantum-leap performance specs" in energy storage, Dahn says.

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/22280/