Electric vehicles are not as widely used in the U.S. as in Europe. The reasons: the high cost of keeping an inventory of two to three batteries per vehicle, the extra space for a battery room, and the labor needed to swap batteries at the end of every shift, says Bret Aker, vice president of business operations for Aker Wade Power Technologies. Fast-charging systems that eliminate the need for battery changes are a great idea in theory that hasn't worked as well in practice, until now, he adds. Aker Wade has designed a new family of fast-charging, modular battery systems. They feature 99.5% pure DC output, and can be networked via Ethernet or 802.11b as a wireless fleet management tool.