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Alternative Energy Storage Is an Investment Tsunami

Interestingly, the storage systems data matrix embedded in Petersen's commentary includes "compressed air" but provides zero discussion of this option; this despite the cost/efficiency projections.

For sometime now, I have been impressed with MDI's compressed air approach to a green vehicle. The potential environmental benefits of this approach supercede any of the battery based platforms, hybrid or otherwise.

End of life cycle issues can be significantly reduced simply by eliminating batteries from the equation. A society with 50 million electric/hybrid-electr... vehicles will have the problem of disposing/recycling those batteries every seven or so years. The cost to the environment and to the pocketbook will be significant. On the other hand, manufacture of relatively simple compressed air engines requires less raw materials from our planet, than any combination of internal combustion, electric, or hybrid technologies at the front end, with less impact on the back end.

Moreover, the cost to produce and subsequently to purchase compressed air vehicles is anticipated to be significantly lower than most other configurations. Such downscaled economics should provide for a more rapid adoption of a green technology and a windfall to a society's economic bottom line.

If compressed air can be applied to vehicular energy storage, then it can surely be available for other energy storage needs as well.

Perhaps not as "sexy" or "geewhiz" as hydrogen, or super capacitors, but possibly the most cost effective approach going today. I vote for parsimony.