Rechargeable Batteries made from Peptides

In 2016 a new type of mobile phone will be released onto the market that uses a battery that recharges in less than two minutes. These new mobile phones/batteries will be the first incarnation of a laboratory synthesized ‘peptide’ technology. The company that created this new technology regards ‘peptide-based' battery technology as proven as far as mobile phones are concerned. They have established a second business unit dedicated to electric car batteries. They aim to create an electric car battery that is rechargeable in five minutes.

This new technology might sound as if it sounding the death knell for traditional lithium batteries, but it may not be as one of the ingredients of these new generation batteries is lithium.

The developer of these new batteries is working with companies like Samsung. Samsung, by the way are an investor. It looks like industrial scale production will take place in China.

One of the many interesting things about this technology is that that there is more to it than simply clicking out the old battery out and putting the 'instant charge' battery in. Because the greater amount of power (amps) being transferred from the charger to the battery, the associated circuitry among other things also needs to be upgraded. This is a major reason why the new battery does not just replace the old battery, it results in a materially different phone.

This technology will become a game changer for gadgets and machines that use batteries. It will change the world. The company does not think that it will have its own way in this new transformed world, but it is definitely focused on being the market leader. The company expects that within five years all rechargeable batteries will be ‘instant charge’.

One of the big concerns for people considering buying an electric car is that they might run out of charge and get stranded. Having a car battery that recharges in 5 minutes rather than 4+ hours blitzes this anxiety and a major reason for people not buying electric cars. Having a phone (or tablet) battery that recharges in two minutes will make people more inclined to download more movies and videos, to do more things with their phones that are ‘battery intensive’. This new technology will indirectly increase the demand for electric cars, high-end phones and many other gadgets.

These new generation batteries look like they will be lighter and may therefore also have implications for things solar powered planes.

I’d like to hear from anyone who can suggest any other implications of this new technology and what it might mean for lithium demand.

K