Jim Weiss
Program manager, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
Fuel cells will soon provide a quick, easy means of charging existing batteries, and we'll eventually use them as a primary power source - just a quick cartridge swap and your laptop will run for weeks. But until we understand how to mass-produce them, they'll remain an oddity. Right now, fuel cells cost $2,500 versus $100 for batteries, and they use platinum as the catalyst.
Scott Mize
Adviser, Nanotechnology Opportunity Report
It could be a while before you can buy a nanobattery, but pretty soon nanoparticles and nanotubes will let you recharge a standard battery in a tenth of the time it takes now, and will increase its ability to hold a charge. I'm also optimistic about thin-film batteries and flexible solar cells - imagine being able to wrap anything in a thin solar casing that's constantly drawing power from the sun.
Sara Bradford
Analyst, Frost & Sullivan
Nanotech has a good chance. Devices keep getting smaller, and the power source has to as well. Solar is a great idea, but either they'll have to get a lot more sensitive or we'll have to spend a lot more time outside. Fuel cells also show promise, though producers must overcome fears about safety. But these power sources will still need to be recharged and replaced, even if that happens much less frequently. It will be a long time before we can just forget about what's powering our laptops and cell phones.
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