Up to five years to figure out plug-in batteries?

Will it or won't it be cost effective?

"This isn't a moon-shot," said Greg Frenette, chief engineer of Ford's plug-in program at the Washington Auto Show. "Within the next five years, we ought to know whether we can produce these batteries cost-effectively."

By 2010, both GM and Toyota are hoping to have a few plug-in hybrid vehicles on the roads of America, but those vehicles might not go on sale until 2011, even 2012. And, while both automakers might successfully prove that lithium can power hybrid vehicles, unfortunately, there is still the possibility that they might also find out that the costs of plug-in technology outweigh the benefits.

And, even if automakers realize that plug-in hybrids can be cost effective, it might take a decade or two to achieve 'average-joe' cost effectiveness. Thus, are plug-in hybrids a silver bullet for fighting foreign oil dependency, or do we need much more than just plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles?

Is America up a creek without a paddle?