If you told someone you found "The Dream Battery," you'd likely get a funny look and if you added that you could watch the movie Titanic twice through your DVD player on your notebook computer then they might think it was April Fool's Day.

Well, the joke's on them. The PowerPad 160, a battery developed and manufactured by Toronto-based Electrofuel Inc., weighs less a kilogram and will give you up to 16 hours of power, depending on your notebook and usage, on a full single charge. Using their patented Lithium Ion SuperPolymer technology, they created the super thin PowerPad 160 (8 3/4" x 11 3/4") which is at only 3/8" thick so it could easily fit beneath your laptop.

[...] Electrofuel co-founders Dr. Sankar DasGupta and Dr. James Jacobs state that the PowerPad has the highest energy density in the world, and "The SuperPolymer aspect enables Electrofuel to mold the battery into virtually any form to fit the shape of any device" - even as small as a credit card. Picture if you will Commander Odo from Star Trek's Deep Space Nine fame.

Although their current focus is on the notebook market, this technology can be applied in many areas and can be used in anything that uses batteries; from cellular telephones and bicycles to space exploration. Electrofuel recently won the prestigious Chairman's Choice Award at Power '99, a conference dedicated to power requirements for mobile computing and wireless communication.

To show its commitment to this technology, Electrofuel announced last Friday that they have raised US $30 million from a private placement in order to expand production of the PowerPad 160, as well as continue development of new products. They are currently working on a 21 hour battery. If you're like me, and you don't get along well with batteries, the PowerPad 160 is a dream come true. Although it's not really a fair comparison, this puppy will give the bunny a run for his money.

For more information, contact Dr. Sankar DasGupta (416) 535-1114 or Michael VanDusen mvandusen@hillandknowlton.ca or their web site at www.electrofuel.com

USABC to Test Rechargeable Battery for EVs. 01/05/2000 Electric Vehicles Energy Network Online Today Copyright 2000 Information Access Company. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT 2000 Environmental Information Networks, Inc.>

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has agreed to test a rechargeable battery made by Electrofuel of Toronto, Canada. USABC will be responsible for determining whether Electrofuel's lithium ion superpolymer battery technology can be used in electric vehicles (EVs).

"The USABC is a world leader in applying battery power to transportation," said Electrofuel's president Sankar Das Gupta. "We are proud to take part in this program which has the potential to develop an acceptable, environmentally friendly alternative to oil."

The USABC was formed in 1991 and is a partnership among DaimlerChrysler Corporation, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, the Department of Energy, EPRI, and U.S. utilities. Partners pool their funding and technological expertise to expand market opportunities for EVs. Electrofuel, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets a rechargeable battery that uses its planar lithium ion superpolymer battery technology. (ELECTROFUEL INC. RELEASE: 12/28) Copyright (c) 2000 by EIN Publishing, Inc.