doesn't count?  Why is "[t]he true test [of viability of a technology its] commercial success on the free market"?  Without massive government subsidies for driving, gasoline would cost $10-15/gallon and nuclear power wouldn't exist.  You're either not living in the real world, or you're propagandizing for big business.

Jeff Hoffman

Biod, I didn't say gasoline was subsidized, I said driving is.  Big difference.  Even the more enlightened places like western Europe that tax gas more heavily than the U.S. don't tax it enough to pay for all of the road construction, maintenance and repair, and infrastructure needed for driving.

More importantly, no one taxes gasoline to pay for undoing the environmental and ecological harms caused by roads and driving, to the extent that's possible.  These harms include ecosystem destruction from prospecting and drilling for oil, and for refining oil, air and water pollution created by oil refinieries, transportation of oil from extraction to the pump after refining, air pollution caused by burning gasoline, and roads that destroy natural areas and fragment wildlife habitat.

Jeff Hoffman

I did some estimating on the possible weight of an economy car battery composed of these nano-phosphate lithium ion batteries of the type used in the 36 volt DeWalt power tools bio-d.

It comes down to this.  If the power tool battery lasts for 22 minutes at 1 kw output power (maximum output is 1.5 kw).

Then a 280 pound battery, composed of about 127 of these single batteries would power an economy sized hybrid car, like the Prius, for a range of
about 200 miles between recharge.

And with the recharge taking minutes, that means any internal combustion engine, transmission, and all the systems that come along with them will save maybe 500 pounds off the vehicle weight.  

Replaced with 280 pounds of batteries that leaves 230 pounds for the electric motor and controller and charger.  And the vehicle would weigh the same as before the electric conversion.  

Making the mileage calculation all work out fine.

And if  a longer trip is required between charging for a few applications, a 140 pound microturbine that operates on kerosene, diesel, or biodiesel can temporarily replace half the batteries.  

The plugin range would still be 100 miles, and the turbine would operate at very high efficiency in an auxillary capacity.  Maybe 10% of total miles driven by a typical cross section of these vehicles would be powered by the auxillary turbine.

Reducing fuel consumption by 90%.  

Now to get test data on these new power tools to verify these estimates.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog