Power sources: Superbatteries: A progress report: Developers are banking on new materials to drive batteries into a competitive position vis-a-vis oil, gas, and gasoline

The reign of the lead-acid battery is being threatened by superbatteries that promise to be an important part of the energy scenario toward the end of this century. If present projections hold up, such batteries will help electric utilities meet variations in power demand economically and without pollution of the air. Millions of cars will also likely be powered cleanly by superbatteries.