Batteries seem quite mundane but think about it for a minute.
When you power up your laptop computer, use a portable power tool, look at your wrist watch, brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush, follow lighted signs to emergency exits during power outages, start your car or listen to a favorite CD, you are depending on a battery. Not surprisingly, battery technology is one of the most significant growth areas of the 1990s. From giant utility load leveling batteries to the cells that power heart pacemakers, developments are making batteries one of the most exciting technologies for investors. And this charged up research and development is driving new industries. In recent months, for example, electric vehicles have demonstrated that they can meet the range and performance requirements of many applications.