Battery Technology 29 Stories

New battery technology and other forms of energy storage will let wind and solar meet more demand and deliver cheaper, longer-running electric vehicles. We report on the latest battery breakthroughs.

Conceptual illustration of a battery made out of a rubiks cube puzzle

Climate Change

How a new class of startups are working to solve the grid storage puzzle

Form Energy, Antora, and others are trying to develop very cheap, very long-lasting storage to clean up the electricity system.

by James Temple
2019-10-10T05:00:55-04:00

Tesla is using lithium-ion batteries to build some of the world's biggest grid battery plants.

Climate Change

Lithium-ion’s pioneers nabbed the Nobel. Now we need the next battery breakthrough.

by James Temple
2019-10-09T16:10:57-04:00

A rendering of Syzygy's planned photocatalytic chemical reactor.

Climate Change

How nanoparticles that harvest light could curb climate emissions

Syzygy Plasmonics has raised nearly $6 million to produce a cleaner form of hydrogen, using a novel type of photocatalyst.

by James Temple
2019-08-19T13:02:40-04:00

Photograph of Qichao Hu

Climate Change

Qichao Hu

On the cusp of the next big battery breakthrough

by Jonathan W. Rosen
2019-06-25T07:00:06-04:00

Climate Change

Doubts surround a plan to build the world’s largest energy storage project

by James Temple
2019-05-31T18:41:52-04:00

An image of wind turbines

Climate Change

We still need breakthroughs to clean the electricity grid

A new study of California’s climate targets concludes they can be met—but it’s going to take some deep investments and real innovation.

by James Temple
2019-04-25T07:00:56-04:00

Smart Cities

When will we have flying cars? Maybe sooner than you think.

After decades of promises, personal air vehicles are finally getting close to commercial reality—but you still probably won’t own one

by Gideon Lichfield
2019-02-13T05:00:00-05:00

Climate Change

Hybrid planes could shorten the leap to all-electric 737s

by James Temple
2019-02-11T11:13:37-05:00

Climate Change

A long-awaited battery that would cut electric-vehicle costs may finally be close

24M is reducing manufacturing costs by stripping out extraneous materials—and just got $22 million to begin building its first commercial factory.

by James Temple
2018-12-17T04:00:00-05:00

Climate Change

A powerful new battery could give us electric planes that don’t pollute

A manufacturing trick with magnetic fields produces a battery that may discharge fast enough to get an aircraft off the ground.

by James Temple
2018-10-30T07:00:00-04:00

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