Battery energy density triples
As the demand rises for batteries that can store more energy in the same volume and weight, new technologies will arrive that continue to push the boundaries of energy storage, particularly for electric ground transportation, drones, and electric aviation.
In the 2030s, we’re likely to see the commercial deployment of battery chemistries that can store 3x the energy per unit mass of today’s lithium-ion batteries. Leading contenders include solid-state batteries, which will replace the liquid electrolyte in current batteries with a solid separator that weighs far less, takes up less space, and is non-flammable. These advances will combine with progress in battery-anode and cathode chemistry to triple the amount of energy batteries can hold, delivering longer range (or much lighter and more efficient) electric cars and trucks, and opening up new scenarios for electric aviation, robotics, and other applications.