The push to get electric cars on the road is backed

The push to get electric cars on the road is backed The push to get electric cars on the road is backed by governments and technology auto makers around the world, but they face a big hurdle: the stubbornly high cost of the giant battery packs, which can account for half the cost of an electric vehicle.

Both the industry and government are betting that a quick takeoff in electric-car sales will drive down the battery prices. But a number of scientists and automotive engineers believe cost reductions will be hard to come by.

Unlike with tires or toasters, battery packs aren't likely to enjoy technology traditional economies of scale as their makers ramp up production, the scientists and engineers say.