[wendy1946]

But I don’t see it as a alternative to oil.

It would be, if somebody really gets their act together with supercapacitors. The combination of thorium and supercapacitors could eliminate 90% of the petroleum economy.

[SeeSac]

It would be, if somebody really gets their act together with supercapacitors. The combination of thorium and supercapacitors could eliminate 90% of the petroleum economy.

What happens when a supercapcitor is damaged in a car accident?

[thackney]

As an electrical engineer specialized in power systems, I wouldn't recommend holding your breath waiting for a capacitor that didn't naturally discharge over time.

Do you want a vehicle that “leaks” energy while sitting unused after you filled it up?

Supercapacitors may fill a place in hybrids where constant voltage is held by a small generator restarting as necessary.

It is a wholely different proposition to sit unused in garage and maintain the charge level created by electric fields separated by dielectrics.