I was thinking about how unstable lithium hydride is and how energy packed it is and was wondering if anyone had thought to intentionally decompose it in an insulator bottle that could withstand the heat in a vacuum about as good as found in an AC line before fill.<p>The machine acts like a flour sifter over a hot plate that when the hydride dust falls on it, it decomposes liberating protons. Then on connected to the hot plate is your load and the other end of the load is ground and you get electric current. Molten lithium metal would pour out of spout into a compartment that safely cools it into a solid for removal as a brick.<p>The brick is taken upon refueling with a hydride. The hydride could be inserted as a cartage if it is too unstable to handle. It is very energy rich. Most of the mass of the battery is in electrolytes, electrodes, and stuff like that. But with this, the energy is a kind of 'electric fuel'.<p>Someone asked "but why" and I'll try to explain:<p>The reason is because electric cars rely on the grid. If electricity could be delivered like a package, that energy could be sourced anywhere that lithium or sodium hydride can be made. Sodium hydride is at least source-able nearly anywhere sea water is found. A off short wind farm could have a little shore plant that makes fuel carts that get shipped by rail or truck. Some oil wells produce gas that simply gets flared off. A generator onsite could convert that lost energy into something useful. Hydro power can be fully taken advantage of if there is an excess of it.<p>The weight savings from having no electrolyte and banks of flammable batteries is considerable for efficiency and economy. It requires no precious metal membrane unlike current hydrogen powered vehicles. It lowers the ecological foot print with 100% reusable or recyclable parts. It doesn't even need lithium which is under geopolitical pressure.<p>The question is why hasn't this obvious idea been tried?