I’m not one to discount the potential for technological advancement, but given the current state of battery technology, there is no way we are even anywhere close to being able to replace liquid-fueled cars with purely battery powered ones.
Not only is range ridiculous, but recharging is a serious issue. I simply do not see how they will ever be able to compress a recharge cycle into the amount of time it takes to pump 10 gallons of gas.
Maybe this would be somewhat workable for city commuting. But frankly, if I wanted to live in an urban setting where the limitations of a battery-powered car might be acceptable, I’d be more likely to not bother and use public transportation.
“Not only is range ridiculous, but recharging is a serious issue. I simply do not see how they will ever be able to compress a recharge cycle into the amount of time it takes to pump 10 gallons of gas.”
I think the best idea is the plug-in hybrid. You’d plug it in overnight, and then if your daily commute is 20-30 miles or less, you could do it all on batteries.
For longer trips, the gas (or better yet, diesel) engine kicks in.
On the fast-recharge front, the use of carbon nanotubes in capacitance style batteries may compress charge times to just a few minutes. A group at MIT is working with that technology.
Molecular Battery Technology has produced batteries which can hold double the charge (or more) in 1/5 the charging time. Another Breathing battery technology did a similar thing recently.
I'm believing that making these batteries survive rugged use and the heavy recharging involved is the current challenge.
Like most inventions. It may take a little stumbling on. Like Edison with Tungsten or Alexander Graham bell with Sulfuric acid. The components are there, but needs to be made practical.
Solar power is about to make similar leaps as well.
And Brushless generators have been made. If these can be produced at a personal level... It would be nice to get off the Grid, before Obama blasts Energy Prices through the Roof!