It seems like everybody is worried about—or at least aware of—global warming these days. And one important way to squash this potentially climate-killing trend is to start driving cars that don't spew tons of greenhouse gases into the air. A lot of talk concerning greener vehicles, though, has centered on hybrid electric vehicles and even on cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Still, the cleanest automotive technology and perhaps the easiest to rapidly implement, from an infrastructure standpoint, is plug-in electric. That is, it would be, if we had better batteries. Aiming to fix this problem is Nevada-based company Altairnano.

Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Alan Gotcher, the CEO of Altairnano, about his company's revolutionary battery technology and what it may mean to ordinary auto consumers like you and me. Gotcher says the Altairnano NanoSafe battery pack uses a new nano-constructed material called lithium titanate, which packs more surface area than traditional lithium ion cells found in today's consumer devices. As a result, the NanoSafe battery will hold its charge longer, offer more power, and operate at cooler temperatures. Most important, the battery will charge completely in about 10 minutes. So you'll be able to pull into a charging station and juice up before you're done paying for that super-size Big Gulp and bag of Doritos.

Altairnano has partnered up with California-based Phoenix Motorcars, which plans to use the batteries in two of it upcoming vehicles. These automobiles, an SUT pickup truck and a sporty SUV (pictured), are both rough and rugged. Happy with the partnership, Gotcher said, "These vehicles are not the souped-up golf carts of electric cars past. They'll be able to carry five full-size adults, have a range of 135 miles, have a top speed of 100 mph, and charge up quickly. We really want to break people's mindset as to what an electric vehicle can do''.

Another benefit of the Altairnano battery system, explained Gotcher, is that the NanoSafe battery pack should have an operational lifespan of 12 to 15 years, to better match the life of your car. Expect the Pheonix Motorcars SUT to ship in late June 2007 while the more consumer-targeted SUV to be available by the end of the year. The SUT will be priced at $45,000, and the SUV will be priced at $55,000.