"F. George McDuffee" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:56:42 -0500, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:
snip
It looks encouraging. At $0.20/mile for battery replacement cost, we're
not
there yet. And it's disconcerting that it's taken so long to get even
close
to a viable battery. It makes me question what kinds of brick walls
they're
really running into. They should have had this one licked 20 years ago,
and
it shouldn't have taken billions of dollars to get there.

But, in the long run, of course. Fuel cells, maybe. Batteries, probably.
N.B. ^^^^^^^^
--
Ed Huntress
========
Suzuki is making progress on fuel cells. Scooter on sale in 2015
depending on fuel availability.

See
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...ki-tested.html


Hydrogen fuel-cell Suzuki tested
Is hydrogen the future? Suzuki thinks it might be and has a
working prototype based on its Burgman scooter.

'Sounds good, although Suzuki is saying they're not planning production
until 2015. It's encouraging that they're getting right into demos and
extended tests, however.

I can't follow the cost issues on those PEM fuel cells. They've been used in
military and space applications since the mid-'60s. One time I hear tens of
thousands of dollars, and the next time they're building a scooter that's
"just a bit more expensive" than the gas-powered equivalent. Maybe that's
why they're saying production starts in 2015 -- they're trying to get the
cost down.

--
Ed Huntress