MIT & Samsung are making a huge battery technology break through

softdown

Rechargeable batteries with almost indefinite lifetimes and much improved safety. The electrolyte will be solid and offer an ~ 25% increase in power density. What will the price be? If it costs three times as much....:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/rechargeab...sung-engineers

cupcake

This will NEVER happen -- the technology to make a 'lifetime' battery has existed for nearly 100 years (see Edison battery, etc) - if a battery lasts forever the company selling it goes out of business.... in a nutshell it doesn't jive with planned obselecence... which is how manufacuring has worked since the 1950's.... People bought first generation Toyota Priuses thinking they were going to get 'free gas mielage' once their debt-payment was over --- in the end, they hit 170,000 miles, the generator goes, and its a $9,000 repair... planned obsolesence...

If you read the article, the main point is that they can make batteries SMALLER per given amp-hour output -- that WILL happen, but NEVER a 'lifetime' battery... at least not for the proles...

softdown

Planned obsolescence is more and more common as ethics in the business world have become, more and more, obsolete. But not always true. Tires are lasting longer and longer....if you pay the premium. Solar panels can still be quite good after 40 years.

Battery problems are the achilles heel of off grid solar power. But that isn't driving battery technology. What is likely driving profound research into battery technology? To make the ultimate robotic killing machines I might guess?

The civilians might get the technology after a decade or so...based on some history.

cupcake wrote: »

This will NEVER happen -- the technology to make a 'lifetime' battery has existed for nearly 100 years (see Edison battery, etc) - if a battery lasts forever the company selling it goes out of business.... in a nutshell it doesn't jive with planned obselecence... which is how manufacuring has worked since the 1950's.... People bought first generation Toyota Priuses thinking they were going to get 'free gas mielage' once their debt-payment was over --- in the end, they hit 170,000 miles, the generator goes, and its a $9,000 repair... planned obsolesence...

If you read the article, the main point is that they can make batteries SMALLER per given amp-hour output -- that WILL happen, but NEVER a 'lifetime' battery... at least not for the proles...