Batteries are an inseparable part of smartphones, medical devices, and IoT products. In the race to develop the best battery technology, Tesla has undoubtedly emerged as a key leader. After nearly a decade of aggressive electric vehicle (EV) promotion, Tesla has succeeded in capturing the public’s attention, even as sales of traditional gasoline vehicles have remained relatively steady. Automakers worldwide are now joining the electric vehicle competition, spurred by policies in China, Europe, and other regions that encourage or mandate the production of low-emission vehicles. These policies are driving EV development at an unprecedented pace.

Globally, automakers have announced plans to introduce dozens of new or updated electric models, with a collective investment of around $90 billion in new vehicle design, factory retooling, and technology development. This massive influx of capital is set to reshape the battery market dramatically, most obviously by adding capacity to an already oversupplied industry. This expansion raises numerous questions: Which battery technologies are practical? When will next-generation batteries be ready?

Computer equipment suppliers and consumer electronics manufacturers have long been the primary users of lithium-ion batteries, and they remain particularly sensitive to shifts in battery technology. Even 26 years after Sony introduced the CCD-TR1 camcorder, older battery technologies still set the industry standard. Although patents and academic papers reveal extensive research, technology development often lags behind expectations. According to AK Srouji, Chief Battery Scientist at Los Angeles-based Romeo Power, battery performance—such as energy density—typically grows by just 4–6% annually. Since lithium-ion batteries require significant space, increases in energy density could further accelerate the adoption of EVs.

For years, researchers have explored alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, such as sodium-ion and magnesium-ion chemistries. However, these alternatives often lack stability, and transitioning to new charge carriers could take a decade or more. Even within lithium-ion technology, advancements continue: improvements in cathodes, composite anodes, and other components have emerged, though high-performance batteries still rely on liquid electrolytes. One anticipated shift is to solid-state electrolytes, which could boost energy density by up to 40%—but the electrochemical and manufacturing challenges mean this shift could take as long as ten years to materialize.

For low-power applications like small consumer electronics, solid-state batteries may start appearing within five years. Supporting technologies, particularly low-power radio chips and wireless charging, are crucial to extending battery life. Battery suppliers and smartphone manufacturers are also exploring ways to enhance functionality, aiming for power outputs of 4 to 5 watts. Lithium-ion batteries have long dominated the electronics market thanks to their energy density and charge stability, and most analysts expect them to remain mainstream for at least the next three to five years. According to IHS Markit analyst Olivier Nowak, solid-state batteries are definitely on the horizon—but they won’t become mainstream within the next five years.

Consumers and manufacturers alike crave longer battery life, but existing lithium-ion solutions are far from inadequate. While occasional fires do occur, modern battery geometries and mechanical designs are highly adaptable. Aside from an unexpected breakthrough in solid-state technology, no dramatic changes are anticipated.

Interestingly, John Bannister Goodenough, the physicist who invented the lithium-ion battery, is not particularly impressed by the current rate of progress. He has emphasized that technology evolves incrementally rather than through constant leaps forward. He has also hinted that his “super battery” might one day replace lithium-ion. In 1980, at Oxford University, Goodenough pioneered the use of lithium cobalt oxide cathodes but was denied a patent by the university. Though he received the National Medal of Technology in 2011 for his invention, he did not receive a monetary award. Remarkably, at the age of 94, he returned to battery research, publishing a paper describing a non-flammable solid-state battery with extended lifespan, fast charging rates, and potentially ten times the energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries. His design uses a glass electrolyte and pure lithium or sodium electrodes. However, one of his colleagues argued that the battery Goodenough described would not produce any voltage at all. Goodenough countered that his battery does not violate any thermodynamic laws, citing successful tests that yielded 3 volts over 500 cycles.

Solid-state batteries have long been a hot topic in the industry. Physicist Farid El Gabaly noted that while solid-state batteries are stable and high-performing, they are extremely difficult to manufacture, as they require lithium ions to pass through a solid interface rather than a liquid electrolyte. In his recent three-year study, El Gabaly and a colleague used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical methods to observe how ions traverse solid interfaces, focusing on small solid-state batteries. The team built up materials layer by layer—each just a few molecules thick—until the batteries fully discharged. This technology is expected to power sensors, wireless devices, and other components, all integrated directly into chips with permanent solid-state elements. El Gabaly highlighted that prior to his research, no one had observed ion movement at these interfaces in detail. His work demonstrated that, depending on the process, ions could move either faster or slower across these interfaces. He emphasized that understanding the kinetics is essential: if you want a battery to fully discharge in five seconds or charge in under a minute, you need to know precisely how fast the ions move. Given the challenges of advancing solid-state technology, El Gabaly expects it will be at least three to five years before solid-state batteries achieve the performance he described.

Incidents like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 explosions, which forced a recall, underscore the importance of battery safety. Industry experts attributed the Note 7 fires to design flaws at two different battery factories. During charging and discharging, electrodes expand, but if there’s insufficient curvature radius, the foil on the positive and negative electrodes can touch, causing overheating. Similarly, Boeing’s 787 aircraft were temporarily grounded in 2013 after lithium-ion battery fires were reported by several airlines. In November of last year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 250 incidents of overheating since 2015, involving approximately 14,000 devices.

These events remind us that no matter how slow battery technology advances, safety remains paramount. Issues in battery design can lead to serious hazards, often overlooked by consumers who assume batteries are inherently safe. As AK Srouji points out, building high-performance, fully integrated battery systems using many stable cells means that safety is the most important consideration. Battery development is not just about chemical composition—it also involves module and system design to ensure that when one cell fails, heat does not spread to neighboring cells, maintaining required cycle life while preventing thermal runaway. Research must also address how devices themselves are designed and how they draw energy from their batteries, whether during rapid charging or under steady use.

Batteries are increasingly becoming a fundamental part of the electronics energy ecosystem, driving investment and research from startups, universities, and established giants like Tesla. As battery technology evolves, ensuring compatibility across diverse devices requires changes at multiple levels, both inside and outside the battery itself.

This article is adapted from content originally published by Qianzhan.com.