Filled with electrolyte, the channels allow gas to diffuse and convert to soluble ions as it passes through the air electrode. When it is fruitful, the experimental cell work performed at LBL ultimately ripens into a commercial engineering project. Ross' zinc-air cell is at this stage. Two commercial firms are continuing development. Cells like those developed by Cairns and Ross are indicative of the progress made by LBL's battery research program.
Cairns takes the long view.
He doesn't believe the gasoline engine is endangered at this point, but is confident that electric vehicles gradually will begin to appear on city streets. Shortly after the oil crisis in the early 1970's, renewed demand surfaced for an electric vehicle. The automotive industry and the federal government suggested performance standards related to range, acceleration, and lifetime. Since then, researchers have striven to meet those then unattained standards. We are on the verge of having batteries that can, in practice, do the job.