[ned23]

Is anyone else wondering where all these amazing batteries they've been talking about for the last 10 years are?

It seems like about every 6 months, like clockwork, for the last 10 years I've read about some new "incredible battery breakthrough" that will give me 10 times the charge for half the price and half the size - Yet aside from cheaper Lithium batteries, I still go to the store and see the same batteries I did in 1998....

....?

 

[LyleL]

Here's another of those wonderful but unseen batteries for your list.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/0...s-plans-to-produce-powerblade-advanced-batte/

Hope they appear soon.

 

[Texas]

Sadly, it's mostly researchers trying to get funding for their research. It's all part of the dance for these guys. What gets me is when very respected researchers burn us with false hope, like Dan Nocera (super efficient hydrolysis). When they put their neck out that far they should really have something that is more developed and proven.

Anyway, I'm mostly immune to claims these days (Dan, how could you! lol) and wait for 3rd party verification of prototypes and studies to see how well the technology will scale up to volume production and the resulting cost estimates. If you do that you are less likely to waste time and effort predicting the effect the technology will have on our lives. Like predicting that EEstor devices will be in 10% of cars in 4 years, for example. Those scam artists are not even close!

 

[bjhorton2005]

Yeah, it's either hype to get research money, or the other big problem.. On many of the best batteries, the patents are sitting locked up in the offices of big oil companies like Chevron, and Exxon. They claim to be trying to do good for the country, and develop diverse energy, but they won't release the best batteries that are available right now! I believe that the Prius battery was only approved @ 1.3 kilowatts because an oil company owned the NiMH patent that it utilized. It's just disgusting...