Hybrid cars have been in great demand a recent years due to the rise in gasoline prices. Now 14 US Technology companies are joining forces to speed up the development of electric car batteries. This aliance is called National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture. They are working together in hopes of catching up to their Asian rivals. US auto maker such as Ford and General Motores, hope to increase production of electric cars by 2010, but the limited capacity to produce lithium ion battery, which electric cars require, may be a problem. The car batter field is currently being dominated by Asian producer, Panasonic Corporation.
The US hopes to build the first large scale lithium ion batter plant, estimated at 1-2 billion dollars. But this plan faces several hurdles, high cost being one of them. However, experts say that this alliance has a high likelihood of receiving funding because it allows the government to concentrate its efforts and money without
favoring any one company. According to the article written by Rebecca Smith, "Many experts believe battery technology and manufacturing capacity could become as strategically important as oil is today."
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