Followers of this blog will be well-attuned to the fact that I see a lot more potential in plug-in hybrids over any other technology like electric or fuel cell vehicles in the years to come. I think I'm definitely correct about fuel cell vehicles - no chance of an imminent price breakthrough there. What I hadn't anticipated though was the speed of development in electric vehicles - both in performance and critically, looks.

So just take a peek at this car - The Lightning, due to hit the marketplace in 2008.

Beauty aside, the staggering breakthrough about this car is with these nanosafe batteries, which can 80% recharge in 1 minute and can achieve 15,000 deep charge / discharge cycles. That compares to an overnight 6 hour charge for lithium ion or nickel-metal hydride batteries or maybe 1000 cycles. This last point is very important - my laptop lithium-based batteries tend to last all of one year before I have to buy a replacement. This new technology would take the battery's lifetime beyond that of it's respective accompanying technology.

It is not inconceivable that this technology and the looks of the Lightning, have the potential to make the Tesla look out of date, very fast. So Tesla Motors must be pleased to have sold so many units ahead of production. Having said that, the Lightning will come in at three times the price of the Tesla - about $300,000 a pop.

But it's not just snazzy sports cars where we are seeing progress. Today I learned of an electric delivery van, shortly to be deployed on the streets of London, which looks pretty conventional, the Smith Edison.

I've often thought the greatest failing of alternative energy cars - from a consumer point of view - was the way they look - see my post on another website here. Well today, manufacturers are clearly starting to address that.

Anyway, let's not get too excited - none of these vehicles are quite yet on the road.

THE WINNERS

1. Distributed Energy Systems +22.34%
2. Dyesol Ltd +22.12%
3. US Bioenergy +9.14%
4. Solon AG +8.41%
5. Roth & Rau +8.32%

THE LOSERS

1. Quantum Technologies -20.1%
2. Western Geopower -10.53%
3. Green Rock -9.76%
4. Hoku Scientific -8.96%
5. Western Wind Energy -7.14%

THE WINNERS

1. Green Rock +19.35%
2. Geodynamics +14.39%
3. LDK Solar +12.65%
4. Hoku Scientific +12.09%
5. Sumitomo Titanium +11.32%

THE LOSERS

1. Geothermal Resources -16.74%
2. Biofuels Corp -4.35%
3. CMR Fuel Cells -4.19%
4. JA Solar Holdings -3.7%
5. Australian Renewable Fuels -3.66%

THE WINNERS

1. Quantum Technologies +12.67%
2. Ceramic Fuel Cells +9.2%
3. Ascent Solar Technologies +9.18%
4. D1 Oils +8.25%
5. China Sunergy +7.78%

THE LOSERS

1. Biofutures Intl -12.12%
2. Hoku Scientific -5.63%
3. Spire Corp -4.57%
4. Millennium Cell -3.03%
5. ITM Power -2.34%

THE WINNERS

1. Hoku Scientific +47.38%
2. Geothermal Resources +41.87%
3. Petratherm +13.33%
4. Torrens +11.11%
5. Solarfun Power Holdings +10.27%

THE LOSERS

1. Quantum Energy -12.38%
2. Mission Biofuels -6.72%
3. US Bioenergy -6.36%
4. Australian Renewable Fuels -4.65%
5. Agri Energy -4.56%

THE WINNERS

1. O2Diesel Corp +7.55%
2. Solar2 AG +6.25%
3. Ormat Technologies +6.23%
4. Trina Solar +4.72%
5. Theolia +4.28%

THE LOSERS

1. Prometheus Energy -6.94%
2. Hydrogenics Corp -5.07%
3. Biofuels Corp -4.44%
4. Sumitomo Titanium Corp -4.42%
5. Carmanah Technologies Corp -3.77%

THE WINNERS

1. Quantum Energy +16.67%
2. Sunline +10.12%
3. EOP Biodiesel +5.79%
4. Actelios +4.49%
5. Geodynamics +4.36%

THE LOSERS

1. CMR Fuel Cells -11.52%
2. Aventine Renewable Energy -8.11%
3. Western Wind Energy -7.69%
4. Distributed Energy Systems -6.92%
5. VRB Power Systems -5.10%

THE WINNERS

1. Renewable Energy Holdings +12.36%
2. Voller Energy +9.38%
3. Powerfilm +8.82%
4. Hydrogenics +8.66%
5. Daystar Technologies +6.15%

THE LOSERS

1. Ballard Power Systems -6.49%
2. Western Geopower -6.15%
3. Sustainable Energy Technologies -5.88%
4. Green Plains Renewable Energy -3.96%
5. Theolia -3.52%

THE WINNERS

1. Distributed Energy Systems +7.69%
2. Finavera Renewables +4.44%
3. Solon AG 4.37%
4. Centrosolar AG +4.07%
5. Reinecke + Pohl +3.76%

THE LOSERS

1. Biofuels Corp -6.12%
2. Catalytica Energy Systems -5.96%
3. Voller Energy -5.88%
4. Alkane Energy -4.94%
5. Electro Energy -4.55%

THE WINNERS

1. Powerfilm Solar +8.51%
2. Western Wind Energy +8.08%
3. Biofuels Corp +6.52%
4. Umweltbank AG +5.52%
5. Verbio Vereinigte Bioenergie +4.71%

THE LOSERS

1. US Bioenergy -6.8%
2. Carmanah Technologies -6.75%
3. Quantum Fuel Systems -6.59%
4. Nibe Industrier AB -5.89%
5. Morphic Technologies AB -5.69%

THE WINNERS

1. Distributed Energy Systems +10.13%
2. Japan Wind Development +7.23%
3. GS Yuasa +5.93%
4. Ceramic Fuel Cells +5.06%
5. Quantum Technologies +5.03%

THE LOSERS

1. Catalytica Energy Systems -9.88%
2. Australian Biodiesel -8.22%
3. Biofuels Corp -8%
4. Western Wind Energy -7.48%
5. Mission Biofuels -6.67%

THE WINNERS

1. Western Wind Energy +12.36%
2. Sustainable Energy Technologies +10.42%
3. Fuelcell Energy +7.27%
4. Alkane Energy +6.25%
5. Hydrogenics Corp +5.36%

THE LOSERS

1. Biofuels Corp -10.53%
2. Energiekontor -7.65%
3. Finavera Renewables -6.12%
4. Schmack Biogas -6.09%
5. Quantum Fuel Systems -5.81%

THE WINNERS

Quantum Fuel Systems +17.01%
Hoku Scientific +15.71%
Carmanah Solar Technologies +14.29
Electro Energy +12%
D1 Oils +11.96%

THE LOSERS

Solarfun Power Holdings -22.19%
Repower Systems -20.65%
Trina Solar -13.06
Biofuel Corp -12.31
Solar Millennium -11.88