The development of technology never stagnates. Whether it be something as simple as a patch for a technology/product in desperate need of repair or something truly innovative and game-changing for generations, there will always be SOMETHING on the horizon for SOMEONE. Something, in this context, is the electric batteries, an intrinsic part of our daily lives. They are also taking part in this dramatic metamorphosis towards a more developed future, undergoing changes at a rapid pace – and yet, it is rarely brought up when discussing the development of technology. In truth, electric batteries have improved immensely since their inception all the way back in the 1800s and will continue to do so for decades. This article will be an exploration of just where they are headed as a technology, and what to expect of them 50 years in the future.

Cheaper Batteries, Cleaner Energy.

As a counter to the purveyors espousing the inevitable and total collapse of society due to an overuse of coal/oil-based energy sources and that nothing could alter that course, cheap, powerful batteries are being used in grid storage, making renewables more and more viable as an energy source by the day. According to Reuters reporting, “Giant batteries that ensure stable power supply by offsetting intermittent renewable supplies are becoming cheap enough to make developers abandon scores of projects for gas-fired generation world-wide.”

This isn’t just a fluke, either. Recent news regarding the state of energy production has brought up an influx of never-before-seen developments in renewable energy (and the distribution and storage of said energy) that, in perfect union with the decreasing cost and increasing storage of batteries, renewables have been made much easier to invest time and money into, which would greatly assist in the production and storage efficiency of said energies.

Batteries, in a way, are catalysts to whatever technologies utilize them. The better the battery, the more effective the technology that utilizes it becomes. As batteries continue to lower in cost, so would the expense of producing such technologies. As productivity and investment continue to increase, it’s fair to suggest even cheaper batteries in the future.

Growing Popularity/Image.

Battery sales are growing almost exponentially – 33% more per year, in fact. This is due to an entire array of factors – including but not limited to – increased sales of electronics, increased effectiveness of stationary storage, and an explosion of growth for electronic vehicles of all kinds. As mentioned before, batteries act as catalysts for the storage of energy. An increased demand for them strongly implies an increase in battery-synergistic technologies, which would only further the demand for more batteries, increasing its overall effectiveness.

With such a massive increase in sales, people will inevitably be looking into them.

They are the perfect middle ground between the differing types of energies, storing them all with relatively stable efficiency. Higher sales = More investment = Better quality and even more production in the near and far future.

The Strengthening of Battery Volume Despite Lowering Prices

As prices for batteries continued to plummet, one might assume the quality to fall along with it, but the opposite has happened. As battery prices fell, the strength and capacity for batteries only grew to a staggering 500Ws per kg at the end of 2023. There doesn’t seem to be any slowing to this process, either; in fact, battery-based technologies only seem to increase in development speed. We were BEHIND in terms of estimation for what batteries will become.

Their growth doesn’t seem to be thinning out or stopping in any way. The s-curve trend of batteries implies something massive about our knowledge of how this tech works on a fundamental level – we aren’t even close to fully maxing out its potential with what we have. This is fortunate, as with the increased investments in batteries and renewable energies come changes that can work to seal the wound humanity has dealt with the environment. We will likely see more exponential growth in the future, and therefore, batteries are more powerful than we could ever hope to imagine today.

In conclusion, batteries have never stagnated in growth. They are and always will be something in the background—something that helps yet never takes the central stage. Despite that, and despite the heavy emphasis I’ve put on their role as catalysts, their role in the development and growth of humans as a collective cannot be understated. Because of this, we could expect cheaper and much more powerful batteries than we have today, embedded within your phone, walls, or even car.