Nano-titanate-based lithium batteries have greater energy density than the lead-acid or nickel-metal-hydride batteries of the old EV1. Plus, they have an even more desirable attribute: the ability to recharge in about 10 minutes as opposed to hours.  The 10-minute recharge time is enabled by nano-materials that dramatically reduce ion travel distance while increasing the surface area available to the ions.

U.S. nanomaterials manufacturer Altair Nanotechnologies is developing lithium ion batteries containing  nano-titanate material instead of graphite that can recharge and discharge significantly faster and more often than existing lithium ion batteries. The article says that that the nano-titanate material does not have to expand or shrink when ions enter and leave its particles during charging and discharing, increasing its life over graphite. Conventional lithium ion batteries have a useful life of 750 charges while Altair's batteries can be charged over 9,000 times while retaining 85 percent of their charge capacity.

Source: EcoWorld