A hot new car laptop batteries should excite investors John Dvorak's Second Opinion

Indeed, the recharging potential of these laptop batteries could outlast a car's lifetime, and so the company needs to figure out ways to recycle. There are two basic types of batteries that will power the electric cars of the future -- the NiMH, for nickel metal-hydride, and the lithium-ion batteries first proposed in the 1970's and tweaked substantially since. There are numerous lithium battery technologies getting research attention because no other battery delivers so much power at such a low weight. Anyone who uses a disposable lithium battery in their camera soon realizes that they weigh almost nothing, yet deliver more power for a longer period than anything available. Nobody makes an over-the-counter lithium battery larger than AA because of the danger. Further, the FAA has rules against flying with lithium batteries. There are numerous formulations for both rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium batteries depending on their eventual use. According to the Altair brochure, though, the company's battery is designed to operate from minus-40 to plus-55 Celsius.