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TDK Corporation’s new solid-state battery, with an energy density that’s 100 times greater than what now powers everything from hearing aids to smartwatches, is further proof that battery makers are on the front lines of innovation. Breakthroughs in one category often spur new developments in another, and the Japanese Apple supplier’s new all-ceramic product could spur innovation in other areas.
Batteries are the workhorse of the energy transformation. The speed of innovation reflects how much energy they can store, how quickly they charge, how much they cost to produce, their environmental impact, and how easily we can access the raw materials to make them. Where they are located also matters, of course, as the world’s biggest battery manufacturers, BYD and CATL, happen to be based in China. Both are expected to ship lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cells that charge from zero to 100% in 10 minutes this year, with CATL’s Shenxing Plus boasting it will give electric vehicles a range of more than 620 miles on a single charge.
