The stimulus package that just passed the House includes all sorts of
investment in clean energy technology–including about $2 billion to
encourage research and development of a better battery.  An advanced
battery–one that weighs less and costs less to produce–is the holy
grail for electric car manufactures.

Big advancements have been made over the last decade or so.  This Washington Post article,
for example, describes a couple an “artifact” of a battery built just
12 years ago.  It weighs about three times as much as a modern battery,
and has a significantly bigger footprint as well.

Despite the advancements that have been made in battery design,
there are still some neigh-sayers.  Why pump research money into
battery technology, they argue, when we could be supporting technology
that is already on the road–like hybrids.  And even if we come up with
the the technology, they say, we don’t have the manufacturing base to
produce enough batteries to make electric cars a mass-market reality.

That argument reminds me of one of the theme in Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat and Crowded. 
We can either let the rest of the world develop the clean energy and
energy efficiency technology we’re going to need in the future, or we
can do the hard work now to become the leader.  Want an example?  From
today’s Post story:

So far, Asian battery makers have a leg up. General
Motors this month announced that it had passed over U.S. battery firms
and chosen LG Chem, a Korean firm, to make the lithium-ion battery
cells for the Chevy Volt. (GM plans to assemble the cells at a $30
million plant it wants to build in Michigan.)

“The point is LG Chem, thanks to years and years in the prismatic
lithium-ion cell business and also thanks to massive financial
technological support from Korea Incorporated, has a several-year head
start,” said Bob Lutz, GM’s vice president for global product
development. “This is why we say if we’re serious about electrification
of the automobile, we do need, as part of a national energy policy,
government support for advanced battery development.

Many in the industry don’t think they have to come up with a battery
that will drive a car as far as a tank of gas–200-300 miles.  Instead,
they figure that since most of us only drive about 40 miles a day, a
battery pack that will take care of that mileage combined with small
gas engine for backup and longer trips will do the trick.  These
plug-in hybrids, as they’re called, could be the most elegant and
practical solution to our energy and climate problems.

Of course, an all-electric car can be pretty elegant.  Just check out the video of the electric Tesla Roadster above.

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