Lithium-ion batteries: This technology will replace 148 billion barrels of oil TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, WLC.v, CLQ.v, RM.v, AVL.to, QUC.v, RES.v

This bull market is at its very beginning, but Lithium already has became a strategic commodity of industry standard in energy storage for mobility applications. Electric cars are coming and charging infrastructure in Europe already is a part of government policies, it have to come to USA as well - otherwise Chinese will take this market as they did with REE. While MIT is still questioning viability and cost of batteries Chinese BYD has put thousand of engineers and claim now over 200 miles range for its electric cars.

StockHouse "This technology will replace 148 billion barrels of oil

Warren Buffett quintupled his money in a little over a year
Not many investors noticed in September 2008, when Warren Buffett took a 10% stake in Hong Kong-based battery maker BYD Co. Ltd. for $230 million.
They should be noticing now.
Shares in BYD, which also makes cell phones and automobiles, have quintupled in a little more than 12 months, meaning that Buffet’s investment is now worth more than $1.5 billion.
But Buffet’s interest in this little-known Chinese stock isn’t the main story here. In fact, the investing icon is simply focusing a bright spotlight on an industry that could serve as a major profit play for years to come.
The real story here is battery power, a technology market that’s heating up in a big way. Just the market for rechargeable batteries is expected to zoom from $36 billion in 2008 to $51 billion in 2013.
And yet the battery market gets less attention than solar or wind power, its higher-profile (but less-technologically developed) cousins.
Modern battery technology is the keystone of the global push to find an energy alternative for oil. In fact, a specific new category of rechargeable batteries is actually a “breakthrough” technology that has the potential to replace as much as 148 billion barrels of oil over the next 50 years, a potential savings of $10.4 trillion – even at current prices.
And oil prices will certainly blast well above the current $78.50 a barrel as supplies diminish.
What these numbers don’t tell you is that there’s a powerful catalyst at work, one that’s behind the big push to develop new, rechargeable battery technologies: the electric – or “hybrid” – car.
Billions bet on “third element” technology
While last year’s record oil price of $147 a barrel served as a wake-up call for the car-driving consumer, it was also the catalyst that shifted the plug-in-auto industry into high gear.
In response to the oil price surge in 2008, U.S. President Barack Obama promised to invest at least $150 billion on alternative energy during his term.
But a big chunk of his $787 billion stimulus bill will finance development of a new, rechargeable battery technology for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).
The technology in question: Lithium-ion.
Sometimes referred to as the “Third Element” – because of its No. 3 position on the Periodic Table of the Elements, lithium is believed to have been one of the few elements synthesized in the “Big Bang” that created the universe.
Now it’s a key ingredient of the new class of rechargeable batteries needed to jump-start the plug-in car market. The other ingredient is capital.
President Obama’s American Reinvestment and Recovery Act allocates $2 billion for the development of battery systems, components and software for advanced lithium-ion batteries and for hybrid electric systems. Another $300 million will support an Alternative Fueled Vehicles Pilot Program.
While those allocations will nurture the continued development of lithium-ion technologies, another program is aimed at hybrid-vehicle buyers: Starting this year, buyers of commercial plug-in electric vehicles can receive a tax credit of up to $7,500.
And that was just a down payment: The $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program will make sure the industry itself continues to develop.
Automakers have latched onto lithium-ion battery technology as the road to the future. Right now, nearly every automaker on the planet is gearing up to flood the market with some form of electric-powered car:
Daimler AG plans to roll out a hybrid version of its S-Class sedan later this year. The entire Mercedes lineup eventually will be available as hybrids in the next five years.
Tesla Motors Inc., of San Carlos, Ca., has already delivered the Tesla Roadster, a stunning electric two-seater that sells for more than $100,000.
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. retooled a factory in Smyrna, Tenn. to produce a pure electric vehicle. Nissan expects to sell as many as 50,000 units of the hybrid Altima in its first year.
Ford Motor Co. is bringing out the pure electric Transit Connect commercial fleet van in 2010 and plans to invest $550 million to retool a Michigan truck plant to manufacture a pure electric Focus in 2011.
Chinese carmakers Hafei and Coda are planning to bring a mass-produced electric car to market in California in fall 2010.
And General Motors Corp. is counting heavily on new-technology lithium-ion batteries to power the Chevy Volt, its revolutionary and much-hyped PHEV, which is due to debut next year.
Global power (and profit) play
For further confirmation that the PHEVs are more than just a passing fad, look at the money being invested by governments across the globe.
Aabar Investments PJSC, an investment company wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi government, recently bought a 4% stake in Tesla Motors from Daimler. And Aabar Chairman Khadem Abdulla al Qubaisi says the fund is planning several more electric-vehicle ventures with Daimler.
“When we acquired our stake in Daimler in March, we identified a number of potential areas for co-operation between our two businesses. One of these was a desire to focus on the development of electric vehicles,” al Qubaisi said.
But here’s the real kicker: Aabar Investments is using Abu Dhabi oil revenue to finance its foray into these oil-supplanting battery technologies.
Worldwide demand for batteries of all types – both non-rechargeable (primary) and rechargeable (secondary) is projected to advance at roughly a 7% annual clip through 2010, reaching $73.6 billion, according to a study published by The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based market-research firm.
Not surprisingly, the “World Batteries” study predicts that China will post the largest gains, while sales increases are also expected to be strong in India, Indonesia, South Korea, Poland, South Africa, Brazil and Russia.
But it’s the China market that promises to put a real charge into the worldwide battery business.
On the home front, Beijing is pushing its assault on battery power through its “20% by 2020” campaign, meaning that 20% of China’s power needs will be served by renewable-energy technologies.
From a global standpoint, China is using its big advantage in labor costs to establish a leadership position in the worldwide battery market, and already has more than 50 factories cranking out product.
It’s an aggressive plan, to be sure, but it’s also cohesive and complete. And Beijing has the cash to make it happen."

Mass market for EVs: Nissan races to install electric-car chargers TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, FMC, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, WLC.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, LI.v, F, NSANY,

We are still waiting for a comprehensive plan to roll out electric cars' infrastructure to be announced in USA as France did this month, but it is better than nothing and Nissan push is necessary to create a mass market for electric cars. Colorado initiative will fuel interest for EVs as well and then we can start to worry about Rare Earths. better place was active in California as well, but recently more news are coming from Europe and Australia, than from US.

SFGate Nissan races to install electric-car chargers

With Nissan planning to roll out its first electric vehicles in five states next year and nationwide in 2012, the Japanese automaker is racing to set up a recharging network quickly enough to be ready for them.
Tennessee, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington are the states getting the vehicles first; they won't be available in Texas until sometime in 2012.
Even before the nationwide rollout, thousands of chargers will be needed. Nissan has ambitious plans to sell thousands of the cars in the first year as it becomes the first automaker in the world to attempt to mass-market an all-electric vehicle.
Unlike the popular hybrids on the market today, Nissan's new Leaf, a five-passenger compact hatchback, won't have an internal-combustion engine onboard to back up the electric power. When the battery runs down, the car stops.
Getting the charging infrastructure in place may be a herculean task, said Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan North America Inc., but the automaker vows to be ready when the first cars come to market in December.
“We have to have a different approach from what's been done before because we're looking to mass-market this vehicle rather than just test a few,” as General Motors did with the EV1 in the mid- to late 1990s in California and Arizona.
“It's a much bigger process than 50 or 100 cars in a city,” he said. “We're looking at thousands.”
Nissan will spend $1 billion to build a plant adjacent to its Tennessee manufacturing facility to assemble the new, high-tech lithium-ion battery packs for the Leaf. And starting in 2012, the automaker plans to begin assembling the cars in the Tennessee plant, near Nashville, as well. Initial capacity there will be about 150,000 vehicles a year.
Until then, the cars and batteries will be built in Japan and exported to the United States, Nissan said.
But there are high hurdles to leap to get to that point, Perry concedes, including persuading local governments to cut the red tape of strict building codes to allow for speedy installation of home chargers in the garages and driveways of buyers of the zero-emission Leaf.
“We don't have a choice,” he said. “We have to be ready. But there is a lot of work to be done and not a lot of time to do it.”
About three-fourths of the recharging for the typical Leaf consumer is expected to be overnight in the family garage, Perry said. “We will have chargers at every location where one of these cars is parked for the night.”
A full charge would take about six to eight hours, and, ideally, charging would occur during the late hours when electricity demand is at its lowest, he said.
But for about 20 percent of the time, other options must be available, such as 20-minute fast-recharging stops at shopping malls, stadiums, light-rail stations, big-box retailers such as Costco, Wal-Mart, Sam's Clubs and supermarkets, or at rest areas or convenience stores scattered along interstate highways between major cities, Perry said.
Phoenix-based ECOtality Inc. has partnered with Nissan to set up charging systems in consumers' homes, as well as public networks in the first five states.
ECOtality has received a $100 million loan from the U.S. Energy Department to help pay for the system, which will consist of “two layers of infrastructure,” said Colin Read, ECOtality's vice president for corporate development.
Read said many of the first buyers will get free home chargers installed, which could run up to about $1,500 each for the equipment and installation combined. Without that help, the biggest expense for some Leaf buyers might be getting the home garage wired for the 240-volt chargers, which themselves could cost as little as $500 each.
Local building and electrical codes threaten to hold up installation of the home chargers, though, as those regulations vary by community. Some make it easier than others — Oregon, for instance, has a statewide law governing such installations.
It's not that simple elsewhere, Read said, recalling the company's experiences installing chargers for GM's electric car.
“We could get permission to install a charger in a home in Phoenix in three weeks, but it took six weeks in Scottsdale,” he said.
Scottsdale is an upscale suburb on the eastern edge of Phoenix.
“Our biggest issue is trying to get the red tape out of the way,” Read said. “We're working with the state of Tennessee as well as local governments to streamline the process and not have to wait weeks. We're urging municipalities to incorporate proactive steps in their building codes.”
It's not only important to the buyers of the Leaf but to the individual cities' own energy-sustainability goals, Nissan's Perry said.
“We're working at the state level to hold everybody to same standard and rolling up our sleeves to get down to the local communities to see how to save time, with ideas such as online permitting and 24-hour turnaround times,” he said.
Peer pressure might help, Perry said.
“We could show a city like Scottsdale what we've worked out with other cities, and ask, ‘Why does it take six weeks for you when others can do it in two days?' But we can't leave it to chance.”
As for the fast chargers, Perry said cities might choose to put some in municipal parking garages and at on-street parking spaces, which would complement installations at malls or big retailers.
“That public infrastructure will be important,” even though the Leaf will have a 100-mile range between full charges — enough to last all day for most people, he said. “That will allow them to recharge at home most of the time.”
Getting retailers such as Wal-Mart involved requires convincing them that the expense of installing a charging station — about $35,000 per hookup — makes sense by increasing sales in their stores as people wait for their batteries to charge, Perry said.
Seattle-based Costco Wholesale Corp., which has two members-only warehouses in Nashville, might be interested in installing the chargers here, said Joel Benoliel, the company's senior vice president for legal and administration.
“We installed the chargers at some of our stores in California for the GM electric car, and that worked out pretty well,” he said. “There weren't many of those cars around, though.”
It should be different with the Leaf, Perry said, with Nissan planning to sell them at affordable prices, not only to fleets, but to individual consumers as well.
Nissan has discussed the idea of charging stations with Wal-Mart, too.
BP, the giant British oil company, is a partner with Nissan and ECOtality in the electric-vehicle project, but only for the purposes of evaluating the technology to decide whether further participation might be feasible, BP spokesman Scott Dean said from the company's Chicago offices.
ECOtality's Read suggested that BP's ARCO AM/PM markets might be a good place to start putting chargers in convenience stores.
But Dean said those stores mostly are independently owned and it would be each owner's decision whether to invest in the chargers.
Installing chargers in the parking lots of fast-food restaurants is another idea Nissan has suggested.
“Studies have shown that the average customer stays at a fast-food restaurant for about 20 minutes, which would be perfect for charging,” Perry said.
One drawback will be figuring out how to make money from the chargers, which will cost about the same as a modern gasoline pump or one of those “huge soft-drink fountains” that convenience stores have for their customers, Read said.
There are laws prohibiting the resale of electricity by anyone other than a utility company, so companies that install fast chargers might find other ways to collect from electric-vehicle customers, such as renting the parking space for 20 minutes for $1.75, Perry said. “That would more than cover the cost of the electricity the car would use.”
But “revenue models are still being determined,” Read said. “It's a very infant industry.”
In California, Costco allowed customers to recharge for free, with the idea they would be inside the store spending money.
Despite Nissan's belief that most recharging will be done at home, getting chargers in strategic locations will be important to the success of the project, Read said.
“Fast charging will be the great enabler of electric vehicles,” he said. “People will want to be able to travel between major population areas without having to worry about stopping several hours for a charge. If the car's 100-mile range is not enough, fast-charging stations must be available, or this will never work.”

REE: Electric Cars Could Pose a Challenge to Rare Earth Supply in “Nightmare Scenario” TNR.v, CZX.v, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, BYDDY, TM, TTM, NSANY, RNO,

"Neodymium magnet is at the heart of Green Energy Revolution - strongest rare earth magnet available it allows to make a smaller lighter and more powerful electric motors used in hybrids, electric cars and wind turbines."

Rare Earth Elements: REE - explained.

It is not an excuse not to build electric cars - resources could be developed in Canada, Ireland and other stable countries and Junior are working on it already.

"We like the speed and cars and this company seems to be up to the speed with recent explosion in Lithium and other Rare metals story, but you need to check charts of AVL.to, RES.v and QUC.v to understand where the Big Bang is. Nothing to be complained about with value building in TNR Gold / International Lithium story, but jealousy is infectious: Chinese are in control of Rare Earth Elements market, keeping more and more for themselves and there are only a few companies with goods to dream about Independent supply to western markets."

Electric Cars Could Pose a Challenge to Rare Earth Supply in “Nightmare Scenario”

October 23rd, 2009
Dr Irving Mintzer principal of MEG LLC, an energy consulting firm, described a “nightmare scenario” at the Critical & Strategic Metals Summit in Washington DC this week. Driven not by cost advantage but by a combination of government incentives, legislation and taxation, Dr Mintzer painted a picture of a world in 2030 in which a third of the probable 72 million vehicles produced each year by that time are either fully electric or hybrid petrol/electric vehicles. Why is that a nightmare scenario you may ask? Surely that would be a quieter, cleaner altogether better world if the role of the internal combustion engine was reduced? Well indeed it would be a quieter, cleaner world, the nightmare element is the demand it would put on electric power generation and on production of certain key metals needed to make such vehicles.
True 2030 is a quite a long way off. Twenty years is probably a reasonable timescale to design and build a smart grid capable of handling the power demands such a switch would make. It is also just about long enough to build the mix of nuclear and renewable energy sources that would be required to meet the power demands without increasing our carbon emission even more than they currently are. It would hopefully be long enough to improve renewable technologies sufficiently that they are economical without the subsidies they need now to achieve project funding. But metal demands look challenging; by Dr Mintzer’s estimations at current Cobalt (Co) and Neodymium (Nd) content levels in a typical Lithium ion battery (everyone agrees there is enough Lithium, it’s the minor metals needed for the cathodes and for the braking regeneration units that will be the challenge) it’s hard to see where the metal will come from. In current cars some 5kgs of Co and 2 kgs of Nd are needed in every car. Even if improved technology reduced this to 0.5kgs of cobalt and 1 kg of Nd the world would need an additional 12,000 tons of cobalt and worse some 24,000 tons of Nd. According to an informative presentation given by David Weight of the Cobalt Development Institute, the world currently produces about 55,000 tons of cobalt and is broadly in supply/demand balance. Some 50% of supply comes from the politically unstable Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the world’s richest source of cobalt. The rest mostly comes as a by product of nickel and copper production and is hence somewhat price inelastic, meaning the primary economics of the mine are driven by nickel and copper demand not cobalt. Cobalt demand has risen at a steady 5.6% for the last ten years which if extrapolated forward would see demand in the region of 163,500 tons, before we add in additional demands for electric cars. Extrapolating figures back from a separate presentation given at the conference by Dudley Kingsnorth, Neodymium production is currently around 17,000 tons and typically represents about 16.3% of Rare Earth deposits. Pretty much all of it currently comes from China but several new potential mines were promoted at the conference, all looking for funding. In reality no more than two of these are likely to come to fruition with a probable production capacity of less than 30,000 tons, at the above Nd content guide that would yield just 5,000 tons of Nd, somewhat short of the additional 24,000 tons required. As Dudley Kingsnorth explained in a video interview on MetalMiner earlier today these Rare Earth mines and processing facilities take at least 10 years to go through environmental, feasibility and funding stages before a kg of metal is produced. In reality, Dr. Mintzer’s scenario is unlikely to become reality but the above projections illustrate the dramatic effect a new technology can potentially have on metal demand when supply is finite.
–Stuart Burns"

Nissan Leaf Zero Emission Tour Rolling Through 22 North American Cities TNR.v, CZX.v, NSANY, WLC.v, CLQ.v, RM.v, LI.v, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, DAI, RNO,

Do not underestimate the power of technological structural shift multiplied by industrial scale. In Frankfurt some automakers spent more money on showrooms than was spent on exploration for Lithium and REE by all juniors combined this year. Once automakers start to push Electric Cars for real the ball will be rolling and public will be more accepting with coming incentives all along the Green Theme.

"Rare-Earth Elements along with Lithium and Rare Metals are in high demand as a result of the rapid advancement in technology, including green power generation, nanotechnologies, hybrid and electric cars."



MotorTrend Nissan Leaf Zero Emission Tour Rolling Through 22 North American Cities

If you can't wait to see the Nissan Leaf in showrooms, the Japanese automaker is bringing the all-electric hatchback to 22 cities in an upcoming tour.Called the Nissan Leaf Zero Emission Tour, 11 states will be covered -- the first location is Los Angeles from November 13-17.

No public drives will be offered, but it will be the first chance for the North American public to get up close with the Leaf. Some stops, we're told, will also have an electric Nissan Versa on hand.
The tour ends in New York City from February 9-14. As you might expect, a large chunk of the Nissan's schedule will take place in various cities in California. Along the way from California to New York, the Leaf will roll through Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Detroit, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Middle Tennessee, Washington D.C., Raleigh, Orlando, and Houston.The Leaf is an all-electric five-door hatchback with a claimed 100-mile range, that is scheduled for U.S. import as early as November of next year. If you believe Carlos Ghosn, the Leaf will be priced within reach of other cars its size, though lithium-ion battery packs could be leased separately. It's possible that at some point in the next few years, the Leaf will come standard with a "beautiful and futuristic" soundtrack so that pedestrians know the quiet car is approaching.As we reported earlier this week from the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan plans to recycle old Leaf batteries: they'll be used to power stationary objects. While mass production of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles is still more than a year away, we look forward to seeing how the Leaf will compare to other environmentally friendly automotive choices. Head to www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car to see the actual tour locations as they are finalized. Source: Nissan"

Electric cars: Colorado Offering $42,000 Tax Break to Tesla Buyers TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, FMC, WLC.v, CLQ.v, RM.v, LI.v, F, DAI, BMW, RNO, BYDDY, TM, TTM,

Tesla S is a new model coming on the market.

Chevy Volt in Colorado will have a better appeal to potential customers as well.

"Lithium-ion batteries became industry standard for energy storage in mobility applications - all advanced Hybrids and all BEV are using lithium batteries."

Nissan Leaf promised to be sold with a price tag of a comparable car and its lithium-ion battery will be leased. Can Colorado claim to be the first mass market for electric cars now in USA? Will it ignite the market if you have to pay only 15% more to become Green and save on fuel cost? Charging infrastructure like in France will be the next step to build this Next Big Thing in action.

FOX Colorado Offering $42,000 Tax Break to Tesla Buyers
Thursday, October 22, 2009 By John Voelcker

FoxNews.com
It sounds too good to be true, but here it is: You can buy a 2009 Tesla Roadster, with a list price of $109,900, and pay just $67,800 for it.
At least, you can if you live in Colorado and buy it before December 31.
That's when a special Colorado tax credit, designed to encourage the purchase of low-emission cars, is due to end.
$42K Tesla tax credit
The measure gives Colorado residents a credit on their 2009 income tax for up to 85 percent of the difference between the price of certain alternative-fueled vehicles and the price of an equivalent vehicle running on liquid fuel.
In the case of the 2009 Tesla Roadster, the tax credit is $42,083. Which translates to a healthy 38.6-percent discount on a brand-new Tesla.
(That's better than the best incentive you could get on some deeply undesirable model from the most desperate dealer in the country.)
And as anyone who's driven a Tesla will tell you, the car's all-electric power is addictive. The tradeoff: the more power you use, the lower the range.
Click here for a full review of the Tesla Roadster from Fox Car Report
Boulder store opens Friday
Tesla will open a new store in Boulder, Colorado, this Friday with an invitation-only VIP cocktail gala. Kimbal Musk, brother of Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, wrote enthusiastically about the car and the event in a guest article on HuffingtonPost.
Why Colorado? Well, inventor and electrical engineer Nikolai Tesla spent many years in Colorado Springs.
Lighting up the state
As Kimbal Musk notes, "While in Colorado, Tesla proved that earth was a conductor of electricity, produced artificial lightning with discharges consisting of millions of volts...and performed long distance power transmission experiments that lit up banks of lights around Colorado Springs."
But it's equally important that the state has many wealthy, green-minded residents. The kind who buys Tesla Roadster.
Especially if the state funds almost half the purchase."

Research predicts huge growth for Lithium-ion batteries.TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, FMC, WLC.v, CLQ.v, RM.v, LI.v, NSANY, BYDDY, TTM, TM, DAI, BMW, RNO, F,

"Electricity is the most convenient form of energy available to us, now we have means to store it."

Lithium-ion batteries became industry standard for energy storage in mobility applications - all advanced Hybrids and all BEV are using lithium batteries. Now we have a glimpse into stationary utility energy storage, where light weight is not as crucial as in electric cars. It is an important confirmation of a general trend and capacity of lithium-ion based technology. This applications are crucial for alternative energy generation with wind and solar power. Batteries become an integral part of energy generation networks and we have first indications of size potential for this very important market for Lithium Demand.

"TheGreenCarWebsite Keep your eyes on the lithium-ion battery market – that’s the verdict of Cleantech industry analyst Pike Research.
According to its forecast, of the 11 competing energy storage technologies it analysed, lithium-ion batteries will be the fastest growing category for the Stationary Utility Energy Storage sector with growth predicted to reach $1.1billion worldwide by 2018.
It believes that the revenue from lithium-ion batteries could represent 26 per cent of the $4.1billion global stationary energy storage business by 2018 ahead of other technologies including sodium sulphur batteries and compressed air energy storage. Meanwhile, high-power technologies such as flywheels and supercapacitors will only ascertain niche status.
According to Pike, the industry is currently lacking a technology provider that could serve a multi-billion dollar market – but lithium-ion battery technology developers may be able to plug the gap. It is expected that the technology will receive an “unprecedented” wave of government and capital-led investment with many applications focused on the transportation sector. An “explosion in demand” is described as the plausible scenario, if utilities are able to address the energy storage problem.
The study is entitled “Energy Storage Technology Markets” and analyses the key technology categories, which include advanced batteries, pumped hydro, compressed air, flow batteries and frequency regulation for utility-scale applications. It also provides detailed market forecasts."

Rare Earth Metals: Tantalum sector desperate for new resources TNR.v, CZX.v, AVL.to, RES.v, CCE.v, GOOG, AAPL, SNE, RIMM, BYDDY, NSANY, RNO, BMW, DIA,

There are Rare Metals like Lithium, Tantalum and Niobium among them and Rare Earth Elements.

"TNR Gold / International Lithium Receive Significant Lithium Values from Ontario Projects

Key point summary:
1. Samples at Mavis & Forgan Lake have confirmed high grade Li2O and the presence of rare metals -- grab samples up to 3.14% Li2O.

2. Other Rare Metals (Tantalum) over limit samples are pending

3. Phase 2 follow-up underway"

INTRODUCTION

"Tantalum (formerly called tantalium), it is originated from Latin Tantalus sometimes called Tantale or Tantal Sonderwerkstoffe. Tantalum has a melting point of 2996°C and a density of 16.65 gm/cc, it is one of refractory metals (the most extensively used of these metals are tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum and columbium or niobium), most sheet-metal fabrication of tantalum can be welded to itself and to certain other metals by resistance welding, tungsten inert-gas (TIG) welding, and to itself by inert-gas arc welding. Electron-beam welding can also be used, particularly for joining to other metals. However, surfaces that are heated above 315°C during welding must be protected with an inert gas to prevent embrittlement.
Tantalum and tantalum alloys are midway between tungsten and molybdenum in density and melting points. Tantalum can be worked easily at room temperature. Tantalum's corrosion resistance is excellent in most acids and caustics as glass . Pure tantalum recrystallizes at approximately 2200°F (1204°C).
Principal applications for tantalum are in capacitor anodes, filaments, gettering devices, chemical-process equipment, and high-temperature aerospace engine components. Tantalum offers excellent "gettering" properties, making it popular in vacuum tubes to absorb products of out-gassing upon heat up of the tube components. It is also used to getter potential contaminants of niobium and its alloys as well as titanium during vacuum heat treating operations. Tantalum also provides good thermal conductivity that, combined with its corrosion resistance, has made it the ideal choice for heat exchangers for acid processing equipment. It is superior to the nickel-based alloys in both these categories.Tantalum also develops a stable oxide (Tantalum Pentoxide) that is useful in electronics industry applications."

SUPPLY CRUNCH
Mineweb Tantalum sector desperate for new resources
Analysts estimate stock piles could run dry in as little as 3 years

Author: Chris Kelly

Posted: Thursday , 22 Oct 2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
A severe supply crunch has hit the tantalum industry, and stockpiles of the metal used primarily in consumer electronic products could run dry in as little as three years, an industry analyst said on Tuesday.
"The industry at the moment is living on stocks. Late last year it was estimated that there was enough tantalum in the supply chain to last for two years. That was last year ... that will run out by 2012," said Patrick Stratton BA, senior analyst with Roskill Information Services Ltd. during a panel discussion titled, The 'Alternative Energy' Metals at the Managing Supply Chain Risks for Critical & Strategic Metals conference in Washington, D.C.
Stratton said the industry's problems were largely brought on by an unprecedented spike in the spot market price in 2000 after similar supply fears caused many nervous dealers to lock themselves into long-term contracts at very high market prices.
"They (tantalum capacitor manufacturers) paid for it dearly with inventory write-downs and future inventory write-downs," Stratton said. After a period of relative stability in the market, he said, everything "fell off of a cliff" in 2008, as the economic downturn put the brakes on consumer demand.
Many companies suspended production, including Australia's Talison Minerals, which provided about a third of the world's tantalum supply. Others included Noventa's Mozambique mine and Canada's Tanco mine.
Talison plans to reactivate its Wodgina mine in mid-2010.
"We have a situation now where primary production of tantalum is limited to material coming out of Brazil, some production coming out of Africa, some Chinese material, and that is about it," Stratton said.
He saw only two real possibilities for new acceptable and ethical sources of tantalum, and they were both in Canada.
One was the Blue River Project in British Columbia, owned by Commerce Resources Corp (CCE.V), which was expected to be up and running in 2011.
Since 1990, tantalum's demand growth rate is about 5% per year. The price of tantalite, used to make tantalum metal, has been trading south of $40 a lb in the third quarter of 2009.
"A good question to ask is, 'what is the downstream industry more afraid of ... the price of tantalum or not being able to get hold of any tantalum?" Stratton asked.
"The second part of that is a very real possibility if something does not happen very soon." (Editing by David Gregorio)"

Lithium and REE in Tokyo motor show: Yamaha. TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, FMC, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, WLC.v, CLQ.v, RM.v, LI.v, TM, TTM, BYDDY, DAI, NSANY, BMW,

"If we decided to drive electric cars and charge their Lithium battery with wind, solar and other green power generated energy - time is study Rare Earth Elements. Every time you click on your Blackberry, iPhone or use your PowerBook you are at the mercy of all these elements."

Telegraph Tokyo motor show: Yamaha
Two-wheeled electric commuter machines are Yamaha's response to urban congestion.

More pictures from Tokyo Motor Show 2009.

The Yamaha EC-f on display at the Tokyo motor show is a smart electric commuter bike based on the more staid-looking EC-03 commuter scooter
The EC-f has a lightweight aluminium frame and is powered by a lithium-ion battery driving a 0.6kWh electric motor. The charger is built into the frame for simple plug-in recharging.

The idea of the funkily-styled EC-f models is to encourage more people on to two wheels in towns. Yamaha has joined up with all the major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers to encourage this with more free parking spaces for motorcycles and scooters as well as easier access to 125cc licences.
Are you listening, Britain?"

The Wall Street Journal: A New Precious Metal - Lithium TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, FMC, WLC.v, CLQ.v, RM.v, LI.v, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v F, NSANY, TTM, TM,

You can get another sense from these WSJ articles why Lithium Brines become so important in Argentina.

"CEO of TNR Gold Gary Schellenberg described in his recent interview Mariana as a flagship lithium brine project for the company in Argentina. After confirmation of historical Lithium mineralisation in Canada, TNR Gold reports an important confirmation from Mariana: "- Encouraging reconnaissance values up to 283 mg/L lithium from shallow subsurface pits".

"WSJ Power Plays

A New Precious Metal

The metal lithium is likely to be a major ingredient in the next generation of batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles. Some producers are raising capital to develop the necessary resources.
Galaxy Resources Ltd., of West Perth, Australia, plans to raise about A$54 million (US$47 million) in an equity placement to start a new mine in Western Australia. The company also plans to build a mineral-processing plant in the Jiangsu province of China. Galaxy earlier received A$26 million from Chinese private investor Creat Group Co., which agreed to take a 19.9% stake in the mining company and to provide debt finance of about A$130 million to develop the Mt. Cattlin mine in Ravensthorpe, Australia.
Meanwhile, Toronto-based Lithium Americas Corp., a junior mining company, is seeking C$7.5 million (US$7 million) to verify the reserves of a property it secured in Argentina. Junior mining companies are primarily involved in exploration. Lithium Americas, unlike some lithium miners, focuses on brine lakes, where lithium is extracted more cheaply than from rock formations.
If the company finds potential in the Argentinian lake, in the Puna region, it will build a pilot plant for converting the liquid into carbonate, says Chief Executive Waldo Perez.
"This project is faster to put into production than metals mining because you have a liquid; the moment you're pumping you're almost in business," says Mr. Perez.
Privately held Lithium Americas plans to file for an initial public offering later this year, in which it would raise between C$25 million and C$50 million, says Pat DiCapo, managing director of Toronto-based PowerOne Capital Markets Ltd., a merchant bank that specializes in junior mining companies and an agent in the private placement.
Analysts at Thomas Weisel Partners LLC estimate that if hybrid and electric-vehicle sales reach 10% of total vehicle sales, the market for advanced auto batteries will grow to between $10 billion and $15 billion in 2015 to 2020. The current automotive lead-acid battery market is valued between $7 billion and $10 billion, those analysts say."

"FMC - an established lithium miner with producing Salars in the same Salta province claims that "Life begins with LI" and we can not argue as well with the news coming daily on electric cars development and governments push towards alternative energy use and reduced carbon footprint."

"WSJ Electric Cars Find Power in Governments
Countries, Motivated by Global Warming, Oil Offer Help With Costly Technical Hurdles to a Mass Market

By SEBASTIAN MOFFETT in Paris and NORIHIKO SHIROUZU in Beijing
Governments around the world are increasingly pumping money into electric car projects, hoping the new vehicles can be part of the solution to major problems from global warming to dependence on oil.
China, the U.S. and France are among the governments that have so far pledged to spend up to $15 billion in the next five years in tax incentives, levies, subsidies and consumer bonuses to help car companies develop electric cars, according to the Boston Consulting Group.
The Renault Zoe Z.E. Concept Electric car is seen on the first press day of the Frankfurt Motor Show on Sept. 15.

The aid is crucial to car makers' chances of success in turning electric cars into mass-market products. At the Tokyo Motor Show, which opens to the media Wednesday, Nissan Motor Co. plans to unveil a new electric car resembling a scooter. It is also aiming for 20,000 orders of another electric car, the Leaf, in the U.S. next year.
But car makers are being held back by the high cost of developing and running them -- and the technical difficulty of keeping them charged.
It's a chicken-and-egg challenge facing many new mass-market products: Consumers will buy electric cars only when they are cheap and convenient enough to use, but that will happen only if lots of people buy the vehicles. So governments are trying to kick start the market.
"Government help is absolutely imperative at least over the next few years," says Mitsuhiko Yamashita, Nissan's head of technology and product development. "Without those incentives, the electric-battery car is not going to be accepted in the marketplace any time soon and anywhere around the world." Policy makers say governments like the idea of electric vehicles because regular gas automobiles depend on oil that is often imported and is a major cause of carbon dioxide emissions, which they have pledged to cut.
Even cars that run off coal-produced electricity produce far less carbon dioxide than a gasoline engine. In the case where electricity is produced by nuclear and wind power, almost no carbon dioxide is produced.
By giving financial aid, governments are also giving their car makers a head start in a potentially big future industry.
Past attempts to commercialize electric vehicles have always floundered: The batteries cost too much, running out hours before the cars had driven very far and then taking hours to recharge.
More
Photos: Tokyo Motor Show
Recently, however, the technology has improved. So-called concept electric cars aimed at the mass market claim to be able to run about 100 miles on a single charge thanks to new battery technology. The cost of batteries is still way too high, however, costing some $10,000 each. Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has put a small electric car on sale at four million yen, or more than $40,000, but is losing money even at that price.
"The most important thing that governments do is to give signals to consumers for what the expectation is for adoption of electric vehicles in the future -- like an announcement to get off oil," says Shai Agassi, chief executive of Better Place PLC, which is developing recharging and battery-swapping stations in Israel and Denmark.
The main way governments are contributing to electric-car development is through consumer incentives. France has announced a €5,000 bonus ($7,500) for buyers of cars with very low emissions, and it slaps a penalty tax on gas-guzzlers. China is running a 20-billion-yuan incentive program ($2.9 billion) for public and service sector vehicles, such as buses, taxis and government-use vehicles. In Japan, central and local government subsidies will amount to $10,000 per car in some cases.
Israel taxes cars that use gasoline by as much as 92% of their value, but it has reduced the tax to 10% for electric cars. Denmark levies a tax of more than the price of the car for some vehicles, but will reduce this to zero for electric models.
The other major government investment is in electric-vehicle technology. The U.S. government earlier this year offered $2.4 billion in grants to develop green auto technology, some of which is going to batteries.
China has since the beginning of the century been funding "new energy" vehicles, which include electric and other low-emission cars. In January it announced another 10 billion yuan in such funds from this year to 2011.
The immediate motivation for China is to combat rising energy costs, which could otherwise threaten the country's fast growth. Cities would also like to reduce pollution, and local governments have said they will start running fleets of electric buses.
In addition, China sees an opportunity to jump into the car industry despite getting a late start in production of traditional cars. Electric vehicles provided an opportunity for China to "catch up with and exceed developed countries" in the auto industry, Chinese Technology Minister Wan Gang told an industry conference earlier this year.
Though every mass-market auto maker has an electric car prototype, there are few on the road. If the first models flop because they're still impractical, or if the recent surge in the price of oil fades, governments might lose interest.—Ellen Zhu in Shanghai contributed to this article."

TNR Gold / International Lithium Commences Sampling Program on Mariana Lithium Brine Project in Argentina TNR.v, CZX.v, FMC, ORE, SQM, WLC.v, CLQ.v,

CEO of TNR Gold Gary Schellenberg described in his recent interview Mariana as a flagship lithium brine project for the company in Argentina. After confirmation of historical Lithium mineralisation in Canada, TNR Gold reports an important confirmation from Mariana: "- Encouraging reconnaissance values up to 283 mg/L lithium from shallow subsurface pits". Lithium is there - next step is to determine brine overall chemistry and volume/tonnage of the deposit - size of the property 120 km sq warrants the importance of this target. Now, when Bolivia has confirmed our reservations to count on it as a source of Lithium serured supply for our Green Mobility Revolution to happen, places like Argentina with its lithium brines are attracting more investors's interest. Barron's has recently covered the topic in its Hybrids Drive Lithium Miners. FMC - an established lithium miner with producing Salars in the same Salta province claims that "Life begins with LI" and we can not argue as well with the news coming daily on electric cars development and governments push towards alternative energy use and reduced carbon footprint.

TNR Gold/International Lithium Commences Sampling Program on Mariana Lithium Brine Project in Argentina

"Press Release
Source: TNR Gold Corp.
On 10:23 am EDT, Tuesday October 20, 2009
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Oct. 20, 2009) - TNR Gold Corp. ("TNR" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:TNR - News) and wholly-owned International Lithium Corp. ("ILC") is pleased to announce the initiation of a comprehensive exploration program on the Company's 100% owned Mariana Lithium brine project, located 120 km west of Tolar Grande, Salta province, Argentina.
Key point summary:
- Brine sampling program initiated for complete grid coverage of salar;
- Geochemical investigation initiated to develop hydrogeological model of the salar; - Encouraging reconnaissance values up to 283 mg/L lithium from shallow subsurface pits; and - Company ownership encompasses entire salar, 120 km2 contiguous mineral claims;
President of TNR Gold, Gary Schellenberg, states, "We are highly encouraged by the preliminary results and observations reported from the Mariana project. The initial phase of exploration is expected to significantly expand our knowledge and understanding of the salar with the objective to rapidly advance the project to the drill ready stage."
Mariana Exploration Program
The company has embarked on a comprehensive exploration program on its 100% owned Mariana property.
This initial phase of exploration, already underway, entails:
1. a regimented shallow subsurface brine sampling program set at a 2km grid spacing for complete coverage of the salar;
2. a detailed hydrogeologic investigation and sampling program; and
3. structural interpretation and lithogeochemical analysis of the immediate area.
The primary goal of the initial phase of exploration is to geochemically characterize the shallow subsurface brine across the salar, determine zonation and better understand the hydrogeologic model and lithium concentrating mechanisms. The Company's intent is to rapidly advance the project to the drill ready stage but will await completion of the initial phase of exploration, receipt and compilation of the results before a decision is announced.
About the Mariana Project
The Mariana project, a lithium-boron salar, consists of several contiguous mineral claims covering 120 km2 and strategically encompasses the entire salar. Salars, or salt lakes, host some of the largest known lithium and boron resources in the world. Lithium brines with economical grade can be produced directly from Salars without the need for costly and time consuming process of mine construction.
TNR personnel completed a preliminary reconnaissance on the property in order to confirm historic data that reported significant lithium, boron, and potash levels in brines and sediments within the main body of the salar. Seven shallow subsurface brine samples were collected over a limited 3 km length of salar margin with four returning values from 188 to 283 mg/L lithium, and 423 to 698 mg/L boron. These lithium concentration levels are comparable to early stage results from producing salars in North and South America.
Milligrams per litre (mg/L) are approximately equal to parts per million (ppm) when the density of the brine is similar to fresh water.
John Harrop, P.Geo, is the company's qualified person on the project as required under NI 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information contained in this press release.
ABOUT TNR GOLD CORP. / INTERNATIONAL LITHIUM CORP.
TNR is a diversified metals exploration company focused on exploring existing properties and identifying new prospective projects globally. TNR has a total portfolio of 33 properties, of which 16 will be included in the proposed spin-off of International Lithium Corp.
It is anticipated that TNR shareholders of record will receive up to one share and one full tradable warrant of International Lithium Corp. for every 4 shares of TNR held as of the yet determined record date. This will result in TNR shareholders owning shares in both TNR and International Lithium. For further details of the spin-off please refer to TNR's April 27, 2009 news release or visit International lithium Corp.

The recent acquisition of lithium, rare metals and rare-earth elements projects in Argentina, Canada, USA and Ireland confirms the company's commitment to generating projects, diversifying its markets, and building shareholder value.
On behalf of the Board,
Gary Schellenberg, President"

NASA: Aluminium-lithium Orion better than composites TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, WLC.v, CLQ.v, LI.v, RM.v, BMW, BYDDY, RNO,

Lithium in the Core of "Next 100 years"

NASA: Aluminium-lithium Orion better than composites

By Stephen Trimble
A NASA programme manager confirms aluminium-lithium remains the favoured material to serve as the primary structure for the Orion crew module despite an ongoing, two-year programme to develop a mostly composite alternative.
A switch to a relatively unknown structural material would force NASA to invest in a risky and uncertain certification programme in order to fly a human-rated habitation module in space, says Mike Kirsch, programme manager for the composite crew module programme.
"We don't have that much experience certifying composites," Kirsch says. "So there is some uncertainty in scoping the amount that's required to certify this."
Some NASA officials, including former administrator Michael Griffin, promoted composite materials as a potentially superior materials technology compared to even advanced metal alloys, such as aluminium-lithium.
These supporters launched the composite crew module programme for NASA and its contractors to gain practical experience designing and manufacturing the technology for a human-rated spacecraft.
Last year, Michael Saemisch, a Lockheed Orion team member, blamed the composite programme for delaying the preliminary design review of the aluminium-lithium Orion module by several months.
Composites technology has gained widespread use in the aerospace sector as a stronger material than aluminium that can also be lighter and less expensive to manufacture.
By many measures, the composite crew vehicle designed and manufactured by NASA and an industry team led by ATK has been a success. ATK's composites plant in Iuka, Mississippi, delivered the module to the NASA Langley Research Center on 11 September, says Steve Summitt, ATK's programme manager.
In pressure tests to date, the module has performed "scary close" to analytical predictions, Kirsch says. Structural testing is scheduled to continue until the end of the year.
But the design process also revealed unexpected weaknesses for composites technology. The final design weighs about the same as aluminium-lithium, and is not significantly cheaper, Kirsch says. "I don't think it would be better," he adds.
The NASA design assumed the pressurised structure must remain leak-proof and intact despite sustaining heavy damage, he says. This design requirement added bulk to the structure, negating some of the weight-savings normally expected with composites.
Moreover, the crew module must sustain 31,751kg (70,000lb) loads during the abort sequence, requiring a material that remains strong against loads from multiple directions, whereas composite material is best when needed to be stiff against loads coming from only one direction, Kirsch says."

Electric cars to dominate in Tokyo TNR.v, CZX.v, AVL.to, SQM, WLC.v, FMC, ROC, RES.v, QUC.v, LI.v, CLQ.v, RM.v, NSANY, TM, TTM, BYDDY, DAI, F, BMW,

TOKIO

"If we decided to drive electric cars and charge their Lithium battery with wind, solar and other green power generated energy - time is study Rare Earth Elements. Every time you click on your Blackberry, iPhone or use your PowerBook you are at the mercy of all these elements."

"Electric cars to dominate in Tokyo

There is plenty of buzz surrounding this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, and, unsurprisingly given the focus on emissions and fuel economy throughout the industry, green cars look set to dominate.
However, the talk is no longer about hybrid cars which have become a stalwart of Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda – instead electric cars that run on rechargeable batteries appear to be the focal point.
Leading the pack will be the Nissan LEAF, which will be on display to the public for the first time at the show. This mid-sized hatchback goes on sale in Japan in late 2010 and is billed as “the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car”. It can travel more than 160km on a single charge and has a top speed of 140km/h.
Though Nissan has made it clear that electric cars, rather than hybrid cars, are its gateway to the future, one hybrid car supporter is not going to be left out of the electric revolution.
Instead the world’s largest car manufacturer Toyota will debut a new version of its electric concept car, the FT-EV. According to Akihiro Yanaka, who oversees the project, the time is “almost ripe” for cost levels, batteries and performance to evolve a step further.
The Tokyo Motor Show kicks off on Wednesday – for more information on the green cars that will debut at the event, check out The Green Piece Column at TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk, which will be published this coming Tuesday."

Lithium and REE: Electric bikes are all green (colors vary) TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, ROC, FMC, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, WLC.v, CLQ.v, RIMM, GOOG, AAPL, BYDDY

Every new electric bike needs an electric motor and a lithium pack. Powerful light weight and low volume electric motors are made with rare earth magnets. Old technology with lead based batteries gives its way to green lithium one. Rare Earth Elements became a fast growing market in Asia and now this trend comes to the West as well. REE investment theme is catching up in USA and Canada with the rising demand for strategic commodities.

"ElectricBike: China – Electric bicycles are fast becoming the transport of choice among China’s population. Last year, the Chinese bought 21 million e-bikes, compared with 9.4 million cars. While China now has about 25 million cars on the road, it has four times as many e-bikes."

China drives electric bike, scooter boom

"SHANGHAI - It's a simple pleasure, but Xu Beilu savors it daily: gliding past snarled traffic on her motorized bicycle, relaxed and sweat-free alongside the pedal-pushing masses. China, the world's bicycle kingdom — one for every three inhabitants — is going electric."

Pedego

Lithium-ion manganese (LiMh) - the saferst and fastest growing battery system for electric vehicle applications; offers high-energy density and low weight. Protection circuits needed to limit voltage and current. Applications include notebook computers, cell phones, cars and ebikes. High current versions are available for power tools and medical devices. Easy to recycle and reuse. Be careful with other types of lithium as some types are untested and have the potential for fires.
36 volt vs. 24 volt36 volt systems boast faster speeds, quicker acceleration, greater range and better hill climbing capability than 24 volt systems. 24 volt systems are typically used on slower models that require pedal assistance to operate. Recharging battery packs Simply plug your battery pack into any standard 110 volt wall outlet. You can leave the battery pack on your ebike or take it off on most models. Charging takes about four hours and costs just pennies per charge. Safety circuitry guarantees that the battery pack cannot be overcharged.
Maintaining battery packs Plug in your battery pack after every use. Lithium batteries are memory-free batteries and do not require a full discharge before recharging.
Life of the battery pack

Lithium-ion manganese batteries typically can be fully charged and fully discharged 500 to 1000 times which translates to 10,000 to 20,000 miles with average usage. Lead Acid packs are only good for about 100 full charges.

Electric bikes are all green (colors vary)

"Ride up steep hills without huffing and puffing!"

"Hammer at 20 mph without breaking a sweat!" At the recent Interbike trade show in Las Vegas, an explosion of companies touted the Lance Armstrong-like powers of the electric bike -- a pedal-powered bike with an electric motor for extra speed when you need it. Although E-bikes haven't caught on in the United States as they have in Europe and Japan, makers say high gas prices, the obesity crisis, better lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and a wave of green consciousness make them right for the times. This review includes two styles of electric bikes: "pedal-assist," in which the rider must keep pedaling to actuate the engine, and "throttle," in which the motor can work independently.

Roy M. Wallack Stealth electric bikeTrek 7200+:

Electric-assist, hybrid-style 24-speed bike with large-road-bike-size wheels, suspension fork and seat post, rear-hub engine and slide-in battery rack. Bike must be pedaled for the engine to work.

Likes: It looks and feels like a normal bike, until you turn on the quiet, smooth engine with its four power-acceleration settings that accelerate your own pedaling input by 25%, 50%, 100% and 200%. As with all the bikes reviewed here: The more you pedal, the longer the 36-volt lithium-manganese battery lasts. The 7200+ is also "regenerative," meaning that it recharges somewhat with braking and can be set to regenerative mode while on downhills. Claimed mileage for a single full charge, with pedaling, is 40 miles. Recharging is relatively fast: 90% charge in 2 1/2 hours, 100% in 3 1/2 hours. The 6-pound battery slides out of the rack for remote charging. The 7200+ weighs 45 pounds, light as electric bikes go, and is the low end of Trek's three-bike Plus electric line. For commuting, go to the fender- and disc-brake-equipped Valencia+ ($2,500).

Dislikes: None.

Price: $2,309. (800) 313-8735; http://www.trekbikes.com/.

Instant Armstrong

Currie Technologies iZip Express: Twenty-six-inch-wheel bike with suspension forks and seat post, a giant in-frame battery, and a powerful 750-watt / 1-horsepower engine in the rear hub.Likes: The giant motor leaves you feeling supercharged. Working moderately hard (not all-out), I went 25 mph up a long hill in a head wind. The 36-volt lithium-ion battery has five levels of assist; claimed range on a full charge is 31 miles on high-power mode, 45 miles on standard mode, and more than 50 on economy mode. Top speed on flat ground with minimal rider pedaling is 20 mph. Currie Technologies is one of the country's biggest E-bike distributors. This is its highest-end bike.

Dislikes: iZip is heavy, takes 6 to 8 hours to recharge, and isn't cheap. Price: $2,999. (800) 377-4532; http://www.currietech.com/.

Throttle-twisting econo-cruiser

Pedego: Comfy, low-slung, relatively low-priced six-speed cruiser designed for hill-averse, nonathletic baby boomers. It has big balloon tires, a rack battery and a rear-hub engine controlled by a hand throttle that does not require pedaling.Likes: Great fun, cool looks, good options. Unlike the previous "pedal-assist" test bikes, you can choose whether you want pedal-only, throttle-only or both at once. It's great not to pedal when you don't want to and helpful to know exactly where you are in terms of effort. With the seat set back and low from the cranks, the bike has a comfy, erect-back seating position. The removable, 36-volt, 500-watt lithium battery pack recharges relatively fast: 80% in one hour and 100% in four hours. Speed governed to 20 mph (motor only -- faster if you pedal), so legal on bike paths. By far the lowest price of the group.

Dislikes: Not great at standing hill-climbing position because of the relaxed seating position and high handlebars. Heavy at 60 pounds. Price: $1,595. (949) 336-8333; http://www.pedego.com/.

Mini motorcycle

UltraMotor Metro: Aluminum, full-suspension, seven-speed commuter with small (20-inch), wide (3-inch) tires, rear-hub engine, a hand throttle and a lithium-ion battery pack hidden within the scooter-style frame.Likes: Like the Pedego, it has a comfy, fun feeling and a 36-volt, 500-watt motor that requires no pedal assist to go 20 miles at 20 mph; greater speeds can be attained with pedaling. Range is 40 miles with pedal assist. Adding a second battery pack can double the range. Includes a real-time state of charge indicator.

Dislikes: Pray if you have to carry it up stairs; it's 73 pounds. Price: $2,700. (415) 693-3110; http://www.ultramotor.com/.

Also of note

Other good bikes tested but not for sale until next month include:

KilowattBikes Commuter: A relaxed-geometry pedal-assist, this seven-speed commuter bike has a lithium-ion battery that'll last 25 to 40 miles with pedaling. $2,400; (817) 334-0071; http://www.killowattbikes.com/.

Sanyo Eneloop: A pedal-assist three-speed bike on sale for several years in Japan that has a light, regenerative 3 1/2 -pound lithium-ion battery with a very fast recharging time of 3 to 3 1/2 hours. It gets a claimed 37 to 46 miles per charge on flat ground, up to 40 in the hills, and 16 when carrying a heavy load. $2,299; (800) 858-8442. Wallack is the co-author of "Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100." Roywallack@aol.com"