The invention of the lithium Ion battery changed everything.
but WAIT..there's more.
new battery technology coming down the pike will be as much better than Lithium Ion as lithium Ion is better than lead acid.
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Probably. But in my opinion we hardly need it. The problem with lithium ion is not the capacity, as proven by the new Tesla Roadster with its 600 mile range. It's also not the longevity, as long term owners of both Tesla and Volt (which both use liquid cooling for their batteries) will attest that if the cells are kept in the optimal temperature range, they will last the lifetime of the car.
That means the only remaining barrier is price. In every other respect lithium ion is good enough for cars. Appropriate, given that the last name of their inventor is "Goodenough".
economies of scale and price of raw materials.
the more batteries made..the cheaper they get.
the cheaper "stuff' they're made of..the cheaper yet.
several new battery technologies are in the Lab as we speak that meet both requirements.
the problem is commercialization
that takes money and time.
I predict solar boats in the next few months
(I'm building one)
and solar other stuff real soon.
the cheaper, lighter, more powerful, (etc) the faster it will spread.
and feed upon it's own success.
think 'moores law'...on steroids.