More Flextreme pictures:
Jalopnik

(Note the spelling is not Flexstreme)
http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/saturnflextremepics/

There are a number of new engine designs that could be used and are much lighter than present piston types. Just to mention one, Axial Vector claims to have a 3 lb 5HP engine. They also have higher HP protos. These are smaller and lighter with higher fuel efficiency. Couple that with a PHEV and Crysler could come on fast.

The whole series hybrid interest opens up the possibility of different power plants to generate the electricity. Since you no long have to drive the wheels of the car with that mechanical force, other methods may emerge.

...hold on there Nymphirio!

...we could have the technology to run our cars on positive thoughts and Detroit would still find a way to hold it back...Chrysler Hybrids, Chevy Volt!?!? These are all romantic fantasies, they'll never see the light of day.

Hybrids,too much klim bim.Put super clean diesels in some of the existing models and start making money before another good company goes down the tube because of mismanagement.

We should forget "modular" batteries and require vehicle manufacturers to use the exact same battery in all vehicles made. Furthermore, the batteries should be removable. "Gas stations" providing "cylinder exchange" for your all-electric vehicle would greatly reduce battery production costs. One can envision charged batteries awaiting those wishing to drive further than the 40-100k currently available: allowing individuals to drive almost unlimited miles per day; paying only for the cost of the re-charge; providing their own battery as a "core return," and paying for the time of the individual plugging in your new battery. Just got off of a site: ocean-server.com which describes array monitoring technology and software which could be easily mounted on the batteries, ensuring a fully-charged battery was plugged into your vehicle. Hope someone sees this, can't think of anywhere else to post it so that it'll make a difference...

I don't think we should demand swappable battery packs.  This creates the same problem as hydrogen fuel:  who is going to be around to swap them until lots of vehicles use them, and who's going to buy such a vehicle without lots of places to swap them?  If we stick with plain old electricity at standard voltages (e.g. 480 V 60 Hz) the chicken/egg problem goes away.  Plain old lead-acid batteries can be charged in 15 minutes with special chargers, and today's chemistries (Altair Nano) and even lead-acid with better construction (Firefly Energy) can do much better.  Besides, with a battery designed to pop out, how do you keep it secure in a crash?

Specifying a small set of sizes and form factors would radically increase the market for PHEV batteries, allowing different manufacturers to play in the market for huge fleets of vehicles (like tires).  The problem is that the standard-setting process would delay the production by years.

Forget the ICE trickle-charger. What we need is stations
where we can go to have our batteries switched out
every 400m. You just pull in, the attendant unplugs your
power pack and pops in a freshly charged pack. Quicker
than standing there pumping gas. I think that's the
solution they've come up with in Israel recently. Cost
will undoubtedly be cheaper than gasoline, and the station makes the same profit they did when they were selling poison. Electric cars are not that far off, now, with all of the new battery tech coming online. I think they're going to bypass alternate fuels entirely, except for where the electricity is generated. Unless, of
course, we get a pack that can be recharged in just a
few minutes.

We need the cars to keep their own batteries, with no foolish battery switching systems when the battery set is thousands of dollars.

A simpler infrastructure is available ... Just have "pay for it plugs" installed in every major shopping plaza and hotel parking lot. This could be installed today, and at a very very low cost. As soon as this type of infrastructure is organized, (and that only takes one major retailer to begin making "pay-plugs" available) PEV's are a viable transport system.

We don't need recharging stations with nothing to do at them. By the time you need a recharge, a meal/coffee and rest will be welcome.