| The future of the hybrid battery car is so | | | | that most other battery types can't match. |
| bright you have to wear shades. Some would | | | | Self-discharge is less than half compared to |
| say the interest in the plug in hybrid is | | | | nickel-cadmium, making lithium-ion well |
| down right electrifying.The hybrid battery | | | | suited for modern fuel gauge applications. |
| car got a huge boost when President Bush | | | | They pose no threat to the environment for |
| featured it in a speech on his energy policy. | | | | lithium-ion cells cause little harm when |
| It's part of the plan to replace over | | | | discarded.Like most hybrid technologies, this |
| three-quarters of Mideast oil imports by the | | | | one has its draw backs. Chief among them is |
| year 2025.The location the President chose to | | | | that the lithium-ion batteries are fragile |
| give the speech is also significant. He | | | | and require a protection circuit to maintain |
| spoke at Johnson Controls, a Milwaukee auto | | | | safe operation. All short comings are |
| parts company that is making lithium-ion | | | | expected to be overcome as research and |
| battery cells for the next generation of the | | | | development continue.To be successful hybrid |
| hybrid battery car.The race for hybrid | | | | fuel technologies must include petroleum |
| technologies continues as the U.S. Energy | | | | alternatives. Right now ethanol would lessen |
| Department pushes for hydrogen fuel cells to | | | | the need for oil if mixed with gasoline. |
| replace gasoline in cars. The department has | | | | Here in the U.S we already make nearly 4 |
| targeted the year 2024 as a time when those | | | | billion gallons of ethanol from corn. The |
| fuel cells will be widely used in hybrid | | | | irony is that a great deal of energy is |
| vehicles of all kinds.There are really two | | | | needed to manufacture ethanol and that energy |
| forces driving the development of hybrid | | | | often comes from fossil fuel and natural |
| technologies. Number one is the uncertain | | | | gas.Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative |
| Mideast sources of fossil fuels. The other | | | | fuel that is produced by fermenting and |
| is the cost per barrel of oil. As the cost | | | | distilling starch crops that have been |
| of oil increases the race for information on | | | | converted into simple sugars. Feed stocks for |
| hybrid cars becomes even more | | | | this fuel include corn, barley, and |
| important.Because hydrogen fuel is very | | | | wheat.Ethanol has a better chance of |
| expensive to transport some predict that the | | | | surviving as an important hybrid fuel when it |
| hybrid battery and ethanol technologies will | | | | is made from "cellulosic biomass" such as |
| precede any hybrid fuel based on | | | | trees and grasses. These produce a hybrid |
| hydrogen.Government support means that plug | | | | fuel called bioethanol. Ethanol is used to |
| in hybrid cars are on the horizon. These | | | | increase octane and improve the emissions |
| vehicles would get a battery charge from an | | | | quality of gasoline.Ethanol is blended with |
| ordinary electric outlet. Lithium-ion | | | | gasoline to create E85, a blend of 85% |
| batteries will make this possible. These | | | | ethanol and 15% gasoline. E85 and blends with |
| batteries will be large versions of the | | | | even higher concentrations of ethanol qualify |
| lithium-ion battery you use in your cell | | | | as alternative fuels under the Energy Policy |
| phone. You could be driving a plug-in hybrid | | | | Act. Vehicles that run on E85 are called |
| by the year 2010.The energy density of | | | | flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and can |
| lithium-ion is typically twice that of the | | | | currently be purchased from several vehicle |
| standard nickel-cadmium battery. There is | | | | manufacturers.There will be one surviving |
| even a growing potential for higher energy | | | | hybrid fuel in the future. What is your |
| densities with these power source.Lithium-ion | | | | guess on which it will be? Or are there some |
| is a low maintenance battery, an advantage | | | | surprise hybrid technologies in our future? |