What's Next for Electric Cars? SPRINGFIELD, IL (wsiu) - Don't look for it in the showroom yet, but energy professionals in Illinois are testing a new kind of battery for hybrid cars.

The Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives and Jacksonville-based Prairie Power are investing in technology that put a lithium-ion battery pack into the trunk of a Toyota Prius.

Vice President of operations, John Freitag, says the lithium battery would replace the existing battery.

The effect is to have a more powerful battery that you recharge by plugging the car into a household electrical outlet. That's as opposed to the current hybrid technology, which uses the gas-powered engine to charge the battery-powered one.

Freitag says the Prius has three times the electrical output it otherwise has. He compared the new battery to a bunch of computer batteries tied together.
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