They keep saying a “breakthrough” in batteries is going to happen any second. That they will hold more juice it charge in a couple minutes, or both. It’s starting to look like the whole nuclear fusion fiasco, you know the one where it’s only thirty years away- and always will be.
It seems like when technology is being developed with a specific plan in mind, it almost never ends up being used for its intended purpose. The actual practical use for the technology is when somebody figures out a application for it no one saw coming. Computers come to mind...they were basically calculators. The ability of computers to change communications and their data storage applications were later developments. I think battery technology in general has improved dramatically - cordless drill batteries 10 years ago didn't last as long and took longer to charge. We've documented that hot/cold weather extremes cause serious problems to EVs, not to mention limited lifespans of the batteries. The current application to vehicles clearly isn't perfect and I'm curious to see how the technology actually gets used in the future. Battery swap out stations? Hybrids are okay but you have twice as much stuff to go wrong.
