A rechargeable battery with oomph at last?

I try to use rechargeable batteries over disposable ones, but it sometimes seems I spend more time charging than using. So my ears perk up when I hear about a California cleantech company that claims to have developed a rechargeable battery with real oomph.

San Diego-based PowerGenix says its new nickel-zinc (NiZn) battery is not only the first advance in battery technology since the 1980s, but a rechargeable battery that performs just as well as disposables. The new Quantaray Super Z battery delivers 30 percent more power than "regular" rechargeable AAs while weighing less, and is non-toxic, non-combustible and highly recyclable to boot.

The Quantaray Super Z became available this week at Ritz Camera, the largest retail camera and photo chain in the US. David Ritz, the company's CEO, said the new batteries will provide "greater power for better camera performance coupled with easy recharge and operation."

According to PowerGenix, the NiZn battery can charge 80 percent in just one hour, and is fully recharged in two.

This past September, PowerGenix also inked an agreement to supply its batteries to PowerEagle, a China-based manufacturer of electric bicycles. PowerEagle's NiZn-driven bicycles are set to become available in North America early next year.