[RayChuang88]

What will end the oil age is NOT the so-called peak oil. What will do it is when someone figures out how to use thorium-232--which is as common as elemental lead!--for a nuclear reactor at a reasonable price.

If the liquid fluoride thorium reactor does become economically viable, it would end the age of petroleum-fueled motor vehicles because there would be enough cheap electricity generated to recharge many, many millions of electric cars.

[SunkenCiv]

Taking the two large potential growth markets partway out of the oil market could accomplish that.

India (by 2016):
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/129913-world-s-first-thorium-reactor-ready-to-be-built-for-cheaper-safer-nuclear-energy

China (within 10 years):
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100026863/china-going-for-broke-on-thorium-nuclear-power-and-good-luck-to-them/

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/current-and-future-generation/thorium/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_fluoride_thorium_reactor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium-based_nuclear_power

[thackney]

That would also require a significant technical improvement in batteries. Cheap electricity is not going to be enough.

Charging time is still going to be a major factor as well.