Quantum Fuel Systems Tech fka QTWWQ

[Recognizer]

Lead acid beats L-ion? 17-Jul-08 08:01 pm http://seekingalpha.com/article/85365-li...
Lithium-Ion Batteries and Centerfolds - Seeking Alpha



<For the last few years, news from the battery sector has been dominated by stories about advances in Li-ion batteries that hype performance while downplaying system costs and safety risks. As a result, U.S. companies operating in the Li-ion space like Ener1 (HEV) and Altair Nanotechnologies (ALTI) have attained nosebleed market capitalizations based on little more than dreams. While some recent articles have noted that global lithium supplies are limited, nobody has come to grips with the fact that it is prohibitively expensive to recycle used Li-ion batteries to a point where you can use the lithium in new batteries. So much like the oil industry, the Li-ion battery industry will have to come to grips with raw material shortages far sooner than anyone imagines.

<In comparison, major lead-acid battery manufacturers including Johnson Controls (JCI), Exide (XIDE), Enersys (ENS) and C&D Technologies (CHP) have established product lines and rust-belt market capitalizations. Lead-acid innovators like Axion Power (AXPW.PK) and Firefly Energy are currently manufacturing commercial prototypes of advanced lead-acid batteries that promise huge leaps in performance at modest prices. To top it off, over 98% of used lead-acid batteries in the U.S. are recycled into new batteries; minimizing resource waste and pollution.>