RENEE MONTAGNE, host: NPR's business news starts with federal funds for batteries.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: A group of U.S. technology companies plans to ask Barack Obama's incoming administration for a billion dollars. They want help speeding up the production of car batteries - cutting-edge batteries that are a critical component in electric cars. The Wall Street Journal reports an alliance of 14 U.S. tech companies want to build a large lithium-ion battery plant in the U.S. Right now, Japanese and other Asian companies are way ahead of the U.S. Experts quoted in the Wall Street Journal say they believe battery technology and manufacturing could become as strategically important as oil is today.
Some U.S. technology companies plan to ask the Obama administration for $1 billion. They want help speeding up the production of advanced car batteries, which are a critical component of electric cars. The Wall Street Journal reports that 14 companies hope to build a large plant for making lithium-ion batteries. Asian companies currently are way ahead of the U.S.