A battery breakthrough?

A technology breakthrough in energy storage could change the equation in electric vehicles and there is no lack of researchers and companies trying. Here is a prototype of a water-based battery being developed by startup PolyPlus. Along with IBM and others, PolyPlus is also developing a lithium air rechargeable battery that would allow for 500 miles of driving range per charge. The company expects this battery, much more energy dense than today's lithium ion batteries, will be available next year. Other promising areas of research are solid state batteries and other chemistries, such as zinc air batteries. Advances in energy storage stand to benefit the auto industry's march toward electrification, from battery electric vehicles to hybrids.