> But, in 20 years, you won't find any 1990 antiques on the road; 
Maybe, maybe not. If there's a demand, parts will be available. If not, 
well....
 > I heard the death knell of the IC vehicle power plant; they've 
 > applied computer chip plasma vapor deposition to batteries, and 
 > now have a lead cell with *twenty* times the power density. the 
It ain't on the road yet. And as I said before, during the time it takes to 
get this technology to the consumers' garages, there'll be more improvements 
in the IC engine.
 > NASA tech review has another rap about vastly cheaper fuel cells, 
Yup. See above.
Now, if there's an actual breakthrough in technology, the IC engine could go 
away nearly overnight. The biggest chance I see for that would be a very 
inexpensive, very efficient fuel cell. Something that can take a liquid fuel 
like gasoline, kerosene, or whatever and make gobs of electricity. As you 
said, it might have to be coupled with a lead-acid battery or flywheel to 
supply surge power, but that is quite feasable.
Getting closer to our topic, that same fuel-cell technology could well lead 
to elimination of the power grid, where everyone has a little box sitting 
outside that supplies all the home's energy needs. The cost of all those 
individual units would have to offset the costs of transmission, etc., of 
course.....
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