tonybelding

What hasn't been invented yet?

Batteries? I think the batteries existing today are adequate. They aren't the perfect, ultimate batteries, but they are good enough to proceed with -- and way, way better than lead-acid, which EVs were saddled with for about 100 years.

It's funny how there are reactionaries in the EV community who seem unhappy about new battery technology. According to the Wikipedia article on the RAV4 EV:

"A number of electric vehicle advocates voiced disappointment that the choice was made to manufacture only the NiMH version. Many electric vehicle advocates claim that automaker's choice of the NiMH battery worked against the 90's deployment of cost-effective electric vehicles based on PbA batteries, and that further development of Lead-acid technology could result in performance equal to NiMH, but at a substantially lower price."

Then there's Doug Korthoff who appeared in the Who Killed movie. He's a great advocate of EVs, but the poor guy just won't give it a rest when it comes to NiMH batteries. He's convinced that GM could build the Chevy Volt "today" using NiMH cells, and the fact that they aren't doing so proves they aren't serious about the whole thing. It's just another GM greenwashing smoke screen.

I tried to explain to him, it takes GM three-to-four years to bring a new car platform from concept to production -- that means any car, even completely conventional ones. Switching from Li-ion to NiMH now wouldn't make it happen any faster, but would make the car less competitive when it hits the market in 2010/2011. Furthermore, in order to use NiMH cells, GM (or their suppliers) would have to challenge Chevron's patents in court.