Isn't that about the level where it gets interesting? My car can go something over 400 miles on a tank of gas right now. If their new batteries can get 40 miles on a "tank", and be refueled as easily as my car can now, that seems right on the threshold of being a very viable product.
Also, gas tanks could be a lot bigger without ruining cars. Things would be slightly less efficient, but if the solution is just being reused then pumping thirty gallons at once might not be the end of the world (as opposed to the ten that currently fit in my tank). If the solution weighs as much as gasoline, then that's an extra 120 lbs when the tank is full, which is a lot, but it's <5% extra.
Not to mention if the tank is full of a fluid that is not particularly dangerous, you might be able to integrate it into the structure of the car, similar to motorcycles with oil-in-frame design.
> If their new batteries can get 40 miles on a "tank", and be refueled as easily as my car can now, that seems right on the threshold of being a very viable product.
Not really. I go 300 miles between fillups and would like to go more. 10x as many visits to the "energy station" is a huge obstacle.
Not to mention that I often go on trips that are longer than 40 miles. Losing 5 minutes to fillups every 3-40 miles is unworkable. And, I often go places where the gas station density is low, so I'm going to have to fill up more often and there are places that I just can't go on a 3-40 mile tank.
As a commute-only vehicle, 30-40 miles can make sense, but few of us can afford significant money for such an "extra" car.
Single people can't, but commute-only vehicles are common for families. The minivan takes care of major trips, and the commuter car is used for the spouse with the longer commute.
