“”You do realize that electric cars have been around for a very long time, don’t you? Some countries even have battery powered buses. By going this thin, the surface area of the anodes and cathodes become huge compared to traditional batteries of similar volumes.””
You still haven’t addressed the basic issue...its the chemicals that contain the ions that need to be greater in size...not the anodes and cathodes. Thats why you can’t downsize the batteries.
I thought you basic doubt was the ability to have an automobile powered by a battery. That has been done quite a while ago. The Tesla's range is 245 miles. This battery is just an improvement.
Firefly Technologies, a subsidiary of Caterpillar has alleviated this problem. The increased the surface areas of the plates in the batteries using a graphite foam instead of the usual metal plates. See link: http://www.fireflyenergy.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=204&Itemid=89
>> You still haven’t addressed the basic issue...its the chemicals that contain the ions that need to be greater in size
Well, it IS “ABC” (All About Chemistry).
Just last night I was reading an article in Electronic Design News explaining the new markets for LiIon batteries (power tools, automotive); the difference in design constraints for automotive batteries (safety, not capacity, is paramount); and how new battery chemistries were achieving this (e.g. cobalt is a problem, and newer technologies found a way around using cobalt).
I found the same article online; if you’re technically inclined you may enjoy reading about it.
http://www.edn.com/article/CA6501082.html?text=battery+chemistry