Quote:

Battery technology needs a major boost. Right now an electric car has a larger environmental footprint than a conventional automobile due to the energy required for battery manufacture.



Not to mention that the energy carbon footprint is just transfered from the automobile to the power generating plant.

My idea of the perfect vehicle comes from several different sources. It would use a small 4-stroke single cylinder engine, powered by an aluminum alloy hydrogen cell, that turns a flywheel to generate electricity to drive electric motors. Electric motors have the advantage of maximum torque through out the entire range of acceleration and respond quicker then internal combustion engines without the heat loss.
http://www.energyplanet.info/blog/2007/05/09/x1-electric-race-car/

The vehicle would be fueled with water and an aluminum alloy that is recoverable and recyclable and the only exhaust byproduct is water vapor.

No need to ever plug in, a true Zero Emission Vehicle since even the batteries would be 100% recyclable.

aluminum alloy hydrogen cell source: http://www.physorg.com/news98556080.html
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I'd rather be ignorant than stupid. Ignorance implies a lack of knowledge which is easily correctable through education. Stupidity implies an inability to learn. Therefore; ignorance is temporary, stupidity is forever!