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.
Very cool, didn't know about that. Although I'm a bit terrified to think of the voltage/current required to fast-charge a capacitor capable of powering a car. O.O
They still have a bit of an explosion/meltdown problem.... and even if they didn’t, you would require at least a 480V drop to every house to recharge them.