Now that Boston Power will be putting its Sonata line of lithium-ion batteries into Hewlett-Packard's Enviro Series of notebooks, how long until it announces a partnership with a car company?After weeks of bleak technology industry news, the Boston Power announcement is a welcome headline for clean tech:

Running laptops more cleanly and efficiently may be just the beginning for this new kind of lithium-ion battery. Christina Lampe-Onnerud, founder and CEO of Boston Power, said in an October interview that researchers have "only scratched the surface of lithium ion technology." She told Xconomy:

"...our company has the opportunity to leverage our experience with the [lithium ion] chemistry and apply it to the emerging market of transportation. That is a market that is still coming, no question. But it will probably be the biggest market in my lifetime."

Boston Power already is experimenting with scooters and bikes. The 3-1/2-year-old company expanded its R&D space outside Boston this year and is setting its sights on powering trucks and cars.

The ham-handed (and ham-headed) management style of Detroit's Big 3 automakers has pushed the public's cries for cleaner vehicles above the pain threshold. But it's a tough task that's been made more difficult by the credit crises.

Tesla, Phoenix Motors, Miles Electric vehicles, and others are in the early stages of highway speed-electric vehicle production or preproduction. But it's slow going -- Tesla made job cuts recently -- and vehicle costs are not competitive with gas-fueled cars.

They may never be, says Tim Richter, a GE engineer who works on battery systems for hybrid buses and mining equipment at GE's Global Research Center. Richter addressed a media panel at the center in October:

"Battery costs will never compete with what we're driving today. Hybrid bus sales are booming because purchases are government-subsidized. The fact is, it's going to cost more to get around."

What do you think? Can Boston Power come up with a game-changing car battery?