As a society, we are now heavily dependent on good battery technology. Indeed, as climate change starts to bite and hydrocarbon fuels become more expensive, the demand for better batteries is just going to increase. But the current best technology is simply not going to keep pace. Commercial Lithium ion batteries are approaching their theoretical maximum energy storage density, which is lower than that of gasoline by a factor of about 60-70. In the meantime, we want electric cars like the Tesla—but lighter, with longer range and faster recharging times.
