It seems to go without saying that an electric car will require batteries to function. They serve the same function as a gas tank in that they store power for the vehicle to move. However, as much as they provide power for motion, batteries are limitations on electric vehicles as well. Current models of batteries charge slowly, taking hours instead of the minutes it takes to fill a gas tank. While this doesn’t matter when one has all night for the batteries to charge, it makes electric cars somewhat less flexible than gasoline ones.

Well, all of that might be changing. EEStor Inc of Texas has developed Electrical Energy Storage Units (EESUs) based on “ultracapacitor” technology. As they are not based on chemicals as are traditional batteries, these EESUs can charge in minutes and can release energy much more quickly. Provided that they can charge from standard outlets, technology such as this could potentially give electric cars the same flexibility as gasoline powered ones.

Currently the technology is licensed for use by Zenn Motors (who’s cars we have looked at earlier in this blog), which bought the rights to the technology in 2005. The Electrical Energy Storage Units from EEStor were originally scheduled for release this year, but unfortunately delays have forced a rescheduling for release towards the middle of next year. So, for the time being we are stuck with batteries, and while I don’t imagine any industry-wide changes even if the technology lives up to all its promises, it is a hopeful sign of where electric cars may be going in the next few years!