Maybe the styling of current hybrid cars is simply a case of form following function. Though hybrids have entered the public consciousness as a way to conserve fuel and reduce emissions, they have yet to break any records in curb appeal.

There’s a reason for the sub-par performance. I’ll address that in just a second. First, have a look at these stats:

Over 228,000 hybrid cars have been sold in the United States this year. But between 1 and 1.5 million total cars and trucks are sold in the U.S. each month. Through nine months of 2007, it’s obvious that hybrids comprise a small slice of the automotive pie.

Are hybrids going to revolutionize the auto industry? Yes, they eventually will. There will come a day when hybrid technology graces nearly every garage.

Is this “revolution” something you need to worry about right now — namely, should you fret over knowing your next car will be ugly, powerless and marginally eco-friendly? No, because chances are the next generation of hybrids will be significantly more attractive and gutsy than current models.

Today, you have a chance to profit from the evolution of hybrids.

You see, within about eight years, 80% of all cars will employ hybrid technology (current estimate of 2015 provided by Booz Allen Hamilton). That “technology” will also change markedly between now and then.

Suffice to say that what I’m about to suggest shirks the convoluted, tree-hugging hype about hybrids here in 2007. Because when things in hybrid auto technology really get rolling, today’s hybrids are going to look like flea market go-carts compared to what’s next.

The advance that will put hybrids over the top doesn’t involve a great deal of Isaac Asimov-like science or wild leaps in believability. In fact, it’s actually kind of simple.

The revolution will be centered on the battery that’s in the car.

Cars today have lead-acid batteries. They’ve been around since the late 1850s and are attractive for use in autos mainly because of their relatively good energy/weight ratio. They’re lightweight and strong enough to do what a car needs without taking up too much room under the hood.

Today’s hybrids employ nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. The self-discharge (decay) rate of these batteries is largely dependent upon the temperatures at which the batteries operate and are stored. And compared to other batteries, they’re not all that powerful.

Without going further into the obvious and perceived disadvantages of NiMHs, I’ll sum it up with this: Today’s hybrids are weak due in large part to their batteries.

A better hybrid battery solves many problems — including engine performance. Better performance capability is directly linked to more attractive styling. More attractive styling means more options for buyers. That translates to wild profits for the company that solves the performance problem in the first place.

That’s the search — finding a better battery.

After the battery problem is solved, the whole industry will begin to pivot away from bathtub styling and “Kumbaya” recitations about the impact on Mother Earth. Hybrids will just be…cars.

Those days are getting closer than you might think. And that’s the real approaching sea change in hybrid car technology. Stronger performance will lead the way to all kinds of innovations in styling, sexiness and power.

So it’s the battery. That’s where the party (and your profit) starts.

Regards,
Aaron Gentzler
October 4, 2007

P.S.: Bulletin Board Elite Editor Greg “Gunner” Guenthner just recommended perhaps the most exciting hybrid battery technology play. This company recently signed an exclusive development contract for a revolutionary new kind of hybrid car battery.

Penny Stock Hybrid Cars was originally featured in the Penny Sleuth.