By John C. Dvorak

Why aren't standard-cell rechargeable nickel hydride batteries available in the United States? They've been sold in Japan for over two years. When you discover the benefits of these batteries, you immediately see the end of the Energizer bunny, finally.

Anyone who uses a high-resolution digital camera knows that standard disposable batteries can cost almost as much as film and developing for a regular camera. Taking about 40 megapixel shots on any CCD digital camera would chew up a complete set of alkaline batteries. Some time back I discovered that rechargeable nickel cadmiums last longer, because they can deliver quick amps with more efficiency than alkalines. Then Olympus quietly started shipping nickel hydride batteries with its cameras, and they lasted twice as long as anything I'd ever used and were rechargeable, too.

Ken Hawk, the president of 1-800-Batteries, is a big fan of these new nickel hydride AA batteries. Using a low-resolution camera, he did a quick study of their usefulness, and the results were astonishing (see the table below). Only nonrechargeable lithium batteries can outperform them. He also tested a standard nickel cadmium and a plain carbon battery, both of which gave fairly poor results. My experience with nickel cadmium batteries was better--not worse--than with alkalines. Hawk had the camera flash on for all his pictures, which probably changes some parameters. He also took pictures at 10- second intervals, which affects the way the batteries respond.

Environmental concerns over cadmium could eventually eliminate nickel cadmium batteries anyway. And since the nickel hydride battery is so far ahead of the rest of the pack, who cares? The nickel hydride battery has an energy density two to three times that of nickel cadmium and no memory effect. The battery works to minus 20 degrees Celsius, and the documents I've seen indicate that nickel hydride battery technology isn't even fully optimized yet.

The calculation of cost for nickel hydride batteries in the table is for 100 recharges. Hawk says the industry knows that nickel hydride batteries can easily last through 500 recharges. I've seen data indicating that 1,000 charges are possible. This drops the cost per 10,000 pictures to 70 cents! I'm convinced that the industry doesn't want people to know about these batteries. I seriously doubt you'll be seeing them on a rack in the grocery store anytime soon. Do the math: It's like buying 1,000 alkaline batteries for less than 10 bucks. Imagine what this does to the lucrative disposable-battery business.

Even when nickel hydride batteries are sold with cell phones and laptops, we are subtly led to believe that the increased battery life has more to do with the technology of the product than with the battery itself. The promotion of this revolutionary battery technology has been quite low-key. Here's another kicker: You can fully recharge nickel hydride batteries in less than 2 hours.

So now I wonder where the D, C, and AAA nickel hydride batteries are? Mostly in Japan. As far back as January 1996, Toshiba rolled out the first complete line of standard cells and other Japanese battery makers have followed. This event was essentially hushed up in the U.S. market. The big-name American battery companies have avoided this market-killing technology for obvious reasons. The only manufacturer of standards cells in the United States is Harding Energy in Michigan. Duracell makes a nickel hydride battery pack sold for industrial applications but doesn't make standard cells. Try Personal Solar Inc. for Japanese cells and special nickel hydride chargers. 1-800-Batteries has the AA camera batteries. These batteries are susceptible to damage from overcharging and require a special charger (one that will do a complete charge in about 2 hours is only $35).

It's time we woke up to the new reality of battery technology and got off the disposable treadmill, which is filling garbage dumps. You digital camera users need rechargeable nickel hydride batteries right now.