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Sir,

Thanks for your note. Space limitations prevented me from mentioning Tesla, which indeed gets considerably more miles on a charge than a Volt. As I understand it, it does this by using some sophisticated electronic controls and a huge array of batteries, both of which help account for the Tesla roadster’s steep price tag. The point I should have made more clearly is that, when cost and weight are considered, lithium-ion batteries in production vehicles are going to continue have a much smaller range than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles. Not to suggest that makes them impractical – some 80% of all car trips are less than the Volt’s 40 mile range. But the grail remains something with even a higher power density than lithium ion.

You’re also correct about flywheels – they’re useful for a number of critical grid applications, mainly in maintaining power during brief outages. Most of the experts I talked with, though, didn’t include them as a solution for larger storage needs, or to handle storage for variable power sources like wind. Still, there’s a lot of interest in flywheels, and they probably merit a closer look in the reports.

I appreciate your writing.

Best regards,

Michael

Michael Totty

News editor/Journal Reports

The Wall Street Journal

http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/klug/Research/Artificial%20Photosynth...

In the meantime it is probably even better to just reduce CO2 out put rather than try and store it. But as people seem to be unable to kick a habit easily - even if it may kill them longer term see smoking - why not store it.

http://crowdfunding.trampolinesystems.com/crowdfunding/

fits in, doesn't it