American Hybrid?

AP: Daimler Plans New Battery for Hybrid

Daimler AG is planning to roll out a hybrid version of its Mercedes-Benz flagship S-Class luxury sedan that uses a kind of battery already widely used in consumer electronics.

General Motors Corp. is developing the Chevrolet Volt, an electric sedan to be recharged by plugging it into a household outlet. Plans call for it to be powered by an electric motor fed by lithium-ion batteries.

One of the issues with hybrid cars is that at present they need to be serviced at the dealership. Many local garages are not equipped to service the cars because of the extreme electrical current that they produce. Special knowledge is needed to work on the cars including special clothing that insulate the repairperson. A small hole in a glove is a large enough opening to do major damage to the human body when high electrical current is present.

Electronics: How Lithium-ion Batteries Work

A typical lithium-ion battery can store 150 watt-hours of electricity in 1 kilogram of battery. A NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) battery pack can store perhaps 100 watt-hours per kilogram, although 60 to 70 watt-hours might be more typical. A lead-acid battery can store only 25 watt-hours per kilogram. Using lead-acid technology, it takes 6 kilograms to store the same amount of energy that a 1 kilogram lithium-ion battery can handle.

On the Prius

At 60 miles per gallon in city driving and 51 mpg on the highway, the 2007 Prius is the most fuel-efficient car on the road, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. When the EPA's formula for figuring gas mileage changes for the 2008 model year, the Prius probably will retain its gas-sipping status, but the numbers will drop to 48 city and 45 highway.

The Prius is a nice car. They can be eerily quiet. But, where are the good noteworthy American made hybrids and where the hell is the American made small compact hybrid truck. I've been waiting for 10 years to get one.