Word: lithium
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...sized gasoline-powered car, and company officials say it will be cheaper to run. The Leaf's maximum speed is more than 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h) and its range is 100 miles (160 km) on a full charge. A 30-minute quick charge reaches 80% capacity. And with its lithium-ion battery placed under the vehicle floor, the Leaf has room for five people. While the Leaf will be built first at Nissan's Oppama plant in Kanazawa prefecture, production is also planned at the company's Smyrna, Tenn., plant. Nissan will use part of the $1.6 billion in loans...
...Reva officials say they are improving their cars and plan to sell 8,000 vehicles next year after the new factory opens. In May, the company began equipping Revas with more-powerful lithium-ion batteries that increase range to 75 miles (120 km). A new model with sportier looks and upgraded electronics is expected to be launched by 2010. (Watch TIME's video about charging your electric car for 60 cents...
...President Barack Obama appears to recognize the tectonic shift. Part of Washington's $787 billion stimulus spending is meant for green initiatives: $2 billion to support lithium-ion batteries and hybrid electric systems, $800 million for a biomass program, $400 million to add electric technologies to vehicles and $400 million for geothermal technologies. But with public debt now equal to 82% of GDP and the budget deficit forecast to hit $1.4 trillion next year, the U.S. is in no position to spend more...
...While lead-acid batteries are improving, Weinart says that electric bikes will create a larger market for lithium-ion batteries - a newer, lighter technology whose development is key for the future of electric vehicles. Already Giant, the world's largest manufacturer of pedal bicycles but a small player in the Chinese e-bike market, has made headway in northern Europe selling high-end e-bikes that use lith-ion batteries. "To the extent that the electric bike industry can help get battery costs down, test the technology and get it in the market, that may lead" the development of electric...
...Like Nissan and Subaru, which are rolling out their own plug-in electric cars over the next 18 months, Mitsubishi hopes that they'll catch on with consumers worldwide. But they are still a gamble. Although technological advances continue to reduce the cost and recharging time of lithium-ion batteries while increasing range, electric vehicles are expensive - the i-MiEV costs $47,500 - and the market will take years to reach the level of hybrid sales. "For five to 10 years, EVs will be for city commuters, used in a limited area, while the hybrid is a pure alternative...