Swiss researchers led by engineer Lino Guzzella are working to do just that for the gasoline-electric hybrid car by replacing the battery with, of all things, compressed air. The new car, known as a pneumatic hybrid, replaces a two-liter gasoline engine with one that stores energy in compressed air, which is expected to yield a fuel savings of about 32 percent.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2009/02/15/running-on-air-new-hybrid-does-without-a-battery/?utm_campaign=DISCOVER%20Magazine%20Special%20Energy%20Newsletter%2003%2E09%2E09&utm_content=rpw@shaw.ca&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Discoblog%3A%20Running%20on%20Air%3A%20New%20Hybrid%20Does%20Without%20a%20Battery
As long as these innovations can be applied to vehicles that the average citizen can afford, that would be fine. But (until very recently) the "cutting edge" technology that the likes of GM put into their autos, was restricted to the higher cost vehicles, and out of the reach of "regular" people.
Stumble It!