[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by island911

IMO, "economies of scale" is NOT the show-stopper here. AS you said, batteries are heavy, and have minimal capacity. Also, even though the battery industry is huge, the product is still very expensive. (compared to a gas tank.) And, if that's not enough, batteries take forever to refill/recharge.(compared to a gas tank.) --Aurel (here) has been working on some promising fast recharge nano-technology, but it is still a much slower process than filling a tank of gasoline.

Everyone should understand that gasoline is some great stuff. It has high energy-density in a relatively stable liquid. This makes for a simple tank. ...not pressurized, not needing thermal management systems... And, the base to make the stuff (gasoline) comes from a very plentiful goo that is pulled out of the ground.

Hydrogen fuel cells need either VERY large tanks, or very expensive/complicated pressurized tanks (and systems)

True dat. Economies of scale would help bring the price down, but there still needs to be a technological breakthrough in order to make electric cars a reality. Despite the recent panic in regards to oil, we still have a LOT left. That is without exploiting some of the more controversial sources. Despite what Al Gore would like you to think, gasoline isn't going anywhere for a LONG time.