Paul,


http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9053820/Researchers_Nanowires_could_boost_battery_life_10X_

This announcement comes upon the heels that  Toyota has
announced a new Li ion battery break-through.  Typically Toyota
makes strategic tie ups with research centers and in this case
their technology might have been developed by Nissan or NEC.

I predict that within ten years  cars will be going 1000 miles
on a single charge and airplanes flying 4 hours easily.  MIT
seems to have solve the challenge involved with fast charging
allowing batteries to be charged in seconds and minutes instead
of hours.  That is very capacitor-like.


So the biggest problem, and it is a daunting problem, is how to
channel the mega joules of energy into a 200+ kW hour battery
pack.  Your average home/ neighborhood doesn't have the power
capacity to do it.


Doug in Japan

Fortunately I will probably not be around to see it as
I love gasoline and hate batteries :)

Paul Lamar