Texas start-up says it has batteries beat

Millions of inventions pass quietly through the U.S. patent office each year. Patent No. 7,033,406 did, too, until energy insiders spotted six words in the filing that sounded like a death knell for the internal combustion engine.

An Austin-based start-up called EEStor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEstor promised "technologies for replacement of electrochemical batteries," meaning a motorist could plug in a car for five minutes and drive 500 miles roundtrip without gasoline.

By Grant Slater, Associated Press Writer

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2007-09-04-new-energy_N.htm