The effect, which was originally studied at UCSD by grad student Jeff Nichols, rests in the creation of just the right amount of defects - enough to create additional charge sites on the nanotube, but not enough to break down its electrical conductivity.  Though it’s a long way from commercialization, the breakthrough brings us one step closer to the Holy Grail of the electric car, and to the entire battery operated sustainable infrastructure of the future: a genuine quick-charging, long lasting battery.

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More efficient energy storage has been a difficult issue for scientists to crack. It is a major issue preventing more widespread use of renewable energy, and solar energy in particular.

Is this project, one funded by a true oil giant, the one that will make it happen?

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I found this used battery near the ocean in Pacifica, right across from our friend Rick’s Salada Beach Cafe. It has since been safely recycled, and kept from polluting our waterways.

Our oceans are already turning into acid. We have to start today to try to make things better. Keeping one more toxic battery or piece of plastic out of our oceans, collectively, will make a difference. Once you start looking, you may be really surprised just how many “disposable” batteries litter our streets and sewers. Next time you see one, pick it up; what you do matters.

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A group of University of Kansas students have rigged up a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle to run on a mix of biodiesel and battery power.

The team, calling themselves the Ecohawks, claim the quirky hybrid is capable of getting 50 MPG from a series of 10 lead-acid batteries and a biodiesel generator.

Performance-wise, although quite cool looking in a retro kind of way, the car isn’t exactly what you’d call a speedster, topping out as it does at a leisurely 30 mph.

That doesn’t seem to bother team-leader Prof. Chris Depcik though, who told reporters, “We have driven it around and reached approximately 30 mph, but this was more of a proof-of-concept drive without pushing the boundaries. We are currently getting the vehicle into road-ready shape to be driven safely in order to determine these values.” (More pics after the jump).

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Alternative-fuel supercars really seem to be picking up steam. Hybrid Lamborghinis? Electric Gullwings? All very cool stuff, but the field is quickly becoming crowded by competitors to the eco-supercar crown. A new California-based company called Steenstra GCM has announced the Styletto, “the first 200-mph-plus super sports car to be built in California” according to the press release.

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Yesterday we brought you news of the impending debut of Audi’s e-tron concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Today Audi released more details on the the eco-luxe electric car, and it’s a monster. The car has four electric motors which, together, produce an impressive 313 HP coupled with a jaw-dropping 3,319.03 lb-ft of torque (!!).

To give you an idea of how much torque that is: the not-yet-released, 6.7-liter, turbocharged, 400 HP, Ford Power Stroke Diesel truck engine only produces a wimpy (by comparison) 725 lb-ft. And the “world’s strongest truck” (according to Volvo) — the 700 HP Volvo FH16 semi — produces merely 2,323 lb-ft of torque. The Audi e-tron produces a full thousand more lb-ft of torque than the “world’s strongest” semi truck.

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Any Top Gear fans here? (editor’s note: ME!!!) In case you don’t know, Top Gear is a British television show where the three hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May embark on odd and hilarious adventures involving automobiles. One segment places “Stars in a reasonably priced car”, having them compete for track times in an economy car.

Jay Leno is using this idea for his new show on NBC, “The Jay Leno Show,” but putting a twist on it. Rather than putting stars in a Chevy Lancetti like Top Gear, Leno will have his guests racing in the “Green Car Challenge.” The vehicle of choice?  The upcoming all-electric Ford Focus BEV.

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Setting its sights on the burgeoning US market for car batteries, cutting-edge Swiss zinc-air battery company, ReVolt, has decided to take advantage of Oregon’s generous business tax credits for development of next generation car technologies.

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On Saturday, I spent four hours in the blistering August heat of Palo Alto, California exploring the world of electric cars at the 37th Annual Electric Car Rally and Show. Sponsored by the Electric Automobile Association, Silicon Valley Chapter, the event offered a wide variety of vehicles, people and philosophies. I also enjoyed a remarkably tasty spicy chicken taco and two enormous icees.

With all the excitement over the $109,000 Tesla sports car and news of the upcoming Nissan Leaf, a four-door sedan for more regular folks, you might wonder what you can do today, without breaking the bank. The answer is, folks have been thinking about electric cars for a long time and converting them to 100 percent battery power.

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What would happen if your Chevy Volt’s battery pack got wet during a carwash?  What if you tried to drive it through a foot of standing water after a rainstorm?  What would happen if you lost control of your Chevy Volt and drove it into a canal?

Water and electricity do not go hand-in-hand, exactly, and despite the excitement and energy surrounding Chevy’s upcoming Volt EV, a number of people are still asking questions about the basic safety of the Volt’s powerful batteries.

GM took those concerns to heart, and released some rare “behind-the-scenes” commentary on the car’s underwater testing on GM’s VoltAge blog.

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Sean Daily, Green Living Ideas‘ Editor-In-Chief, talks Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and EEStor’s promising new battery technologies with Ian Clifford, CEO of ZENN Motor Company.

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As with every electric vehicle, battery issues—type, range, weight, and charging time, not to mention cost—are slowing down development, but enthusiasts and entrepreneurial companies are working to come up with the best solution. Perhaps it’s a three-wheeled vehicle, such as the Triac from Green Vehicles. Looking a little like a wingless helicopter, with two wheels up front and one in the back, it is much more like a car than a motorcycle, and at $25,000, is priced like one. The folks at Green Vehicles offer a cute little minivan called the Moose and a little three-wheeled trucklet called the Buckshot as well.

Some manufacturers have electric cars out now, in the testing stages. Two MINI E’s were represented, although they’re not for sale (yet). The shockingly narrow Tango looked like you could push it over (you can’t). Two lovely Teslas were in evidence while I was there.

A few Toyota RAV4 small SUVs were on display. These cars were available 10 years ago, until Toyota stopped selling them. However, unlike in GM’s EV1 program, the cars belonged to the owners and were not crushed.

They’re still humming along.

One of the most unusual vehicles was a replica of the 1904 curved dash Oldsmobile, this one electrically powered and steered with its tiller by Bill Palmer. Bill is one of the founders of the Electric Automobile Association, which formed in 1967. He claims that his replica Olds is based on a six-inch plastic model. The 1904 original was not an electric vehicle. Bill enjoyed taking children—and some adults—on short rides around the grounds.

You can pay experts to convert your car for you or do it yourself. Electro Automotive of Felton California had a booth featuring friendly folks and plenty of information to take along. One handout announced an event to follow the next day. One sheet showed that Electro Automotive’s kits range from $6,425 to $12,545, depending on the donor vehicle. Another handout gave lists of books to read to learn more.

Or, you can do it as a family project. Steve and Eric Schmidt stood proudly next to their bright orange MG Midget. Much of the conversion was done by this father and son team. Both admitted that they had no experience when they started. As they pulled away in their silent cruiser, you know they had learned a lot in the process.

A pair of Toyota Priuses joined the party. These were plug-in conversions, which operate in full electric mode but can run on gasoline when the batteries become discharged. This method eases concerns about becoming stranded. The world is waiting for batteries to become more efficient—along with quick charging and widespread availability to it—so that electricity can take over.

Bankruptcy? What bankruptcy? New GM emerged from a gov’ment cradled bankrupcty filing just a month ago, but it seems like business as usual at the former American manufacturing giant. At a press conference this mornig, New GM CEO Fritz Henderson wasted no time explaining a recent marketing campaign involving the numbers 23 and a smiling electrical outlet.

230 “composite” miles per gallon for the Chevy Volt, city rating of course. 230 miles per gallon? What kind of voodoo magic are they putting in those batteries?

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Like a rock from a slingshot, the MINI E electric car shoots up the onramp and into the traffic flow. Press the accelerator (don’t call it the gas) and the 150 KW motor delivers its 204 horsepower in a burst.

You’ll hardly need the brakes. The regenerative braking system kicks in like the flaps on a landing 727. It’s like someone dropped the anchor or popped the ‘chutes. It takes some getting used to. Just lift your right foot as you approach a red light and cruise to a stop.

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The Toyota Prius is among the most popular cars under the Cash For Clunkers program right now. But many people who want one will have to wait, as production of the popular hybrid has slowed because of a battery shortage. The supplier of Prius batteries, Panasonic EV Energy, can not keep up with Toyota’s 500,000  annual Prius capacity. While Panasonic EV says it should have its production capacity ramped up to a million units annually by mid-2010, this begs the bigger question;

Will battery packs hold back hybrid production and development?

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In a somewhat suspect interview that was posted to the web and then subsequently removed (but not before being turned into a transcript), Dick Weir — the clandestine CEO of the even more secretive EEStor — was caught on tape in a 30 minute interview covering many topics that fervent followers of the company have been curious about for a long time.

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Santa Monica, California-based EV start-up Coda Automotive has raised a cool $24 Million to support the development and 2010 California market entry of its all-electric sedan and funding of its battery manufacturing joint venture.

The funds came after a successful bid under the Series B Investment Round, backed by a team including former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. & Farallon Capital Founder Thomas F. Steyer.

In a press release Kevin Czinger, president and CEO, Coda Automotive said, “Coda’s ability to raise capital under challenging market conditions and the caliber of our investors attest to the strength of our business model (video) and the opportunity that exists in the electric car and battery sectors.”

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A team of Japanese scientists have developed a new type of lithium-air battery cell with an ultra-large capacity, and say that it holds great potential for the next-generation of electric cars.

Researchers at the country’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) predict that at a filling station, the driver of a vehicle equipped with the new battery could make use of a revolutionary new cassette refill system, and then continue driving without waiting for batteries to be recharged.

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This past weekend while I was at the Syracuse Nationals auto show, my digital camera chewed through my extended-life rechargeable batteries. More than once I found myself without enough energy to get that last, important shot. The recharger I used took 3 hours to recharge them as well, so if I hadn’t have had eight of the batteries I would have been poop outta luck.

But a new idea for rechargable batteries might change all that. Need some power? Just shake your battery and it recharges itself! Or at least that is the concept behind the ShakEnergy from Mintpass.

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Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., within the Renault-Nissan Alliance, announced today that it will be building two European plants to manufacture its advanced lithium-ion batteries - each plant manufacturing a projected annual capacity of 60,000 units. With agreements between Nissan and Portugal and the United Kingdoms, the Renault-Nissan Alliance makes significant steps towards producing batteries for its European Zero Emission Mobility Program.

Nissan will receive financial assistance from both countries’ respective governments, as well as other forms of support, in order to ensure that the plants will be located within the countries. The hope is that the two plants will have both immediate and long-term effects on the health of both national and regional economies by boosting jobs, pioneering the manufacture and sale of zero emission vehicles in Europe and contributing to the automotive industry.

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