The electricity grid is undergoing its first evolution since the invention of the power transmission system, and energy storage devices, particularly mechanical energy storage devices, will play a solid role in this evolution.

Traction batteries and motors in electric vehicles (EVs) are very different to the powertrain components of the internal-combustion engine vehicles they replace.

What do you now purchase by the kilowatt hour? The new supercapacitors replacing batteries. The new IDTechEx report, "Supercapacitor Markets, Technology Roadmap, Opportunities 2021-2041", shows how supercapacitors have started to replace 10% of lithium-ion batteries and help kill lead-acid.

Thursday 10 September - Join the webinar "Do Patents Highlight the Way Forward for Li-ion Batteries?", presented by IDTechEx Technology Analyst, Dr Alex Holland. There are 3 sessions to choose from (2am, 10am and 5pm BST).

The battery industry has experienced enormous innovation and investment with the demand mainly from electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The 1,500 GWh market demand in 2030 indicates huge potential for batteries.

Supercapacitors Turn the Corner - Supercapacitors and their variants have recently seen customer commitment to multibillion-dollar opportunities that were previously beyond their reach. Consider large peak-shaving ones for hybrid cars where the Geely orders will soon be followed by others.

Growth in the Li-ion market means significant investments are now being made into building out capacity for manufacturing Li-ion batteries and their components and as the demand for Li-ion batteries grow, so too does the importance of performance and cost improvements.

Electric ships have some of the largest individual batteries of any electric vehicle sector; below is a list of the largest projects IDTechEx have been tracking.

The new IDTechEx report, "Sensors 2021-2041" uniquely analyses the whole subject in the light of such seismic changes as the COVID-19 virus. The sensor business is in turmoil. The industries that spend most on sensors are changing as are the sensors.

In the past two decades, the car market has declined twice: first due to the 2008 economic crisis, and then due to falling sales in China. Most recently, the lockdowns implemented to combat the coronavirus pandemic, causing auto-production plants to close globally and a loss of consumer spending will lead to an unprecedented 23% decline in 2020 (IDTechEx prediction).

Nearly every sector is proposing the use of artificial intelligence. Materials science R&D is relatively late to this trend, and there are many industry-specific hurdles, but the opportunities are beginning to be realized and the potential impact is significant.

Tuesday 11 August - The electric car market is facing fresh, unforeseen challenges in 2020, and in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, electric vehicles with a higher upfront price are a hard sell. How is the industry, and how are governments, responding? Are electric cars de-railed from their pre-coronavirus trajectory?

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are considered by the most, as two competing technologies. Although both technologies power an electric motor, they have different properties and each of them is well suited for some uses more than others.

Solid-state batteries keep on attracting tremendous attention and investment with the maturing technologies and closeness to mass production.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced shoppers online, driving huge demand for home delivery. Moreover, growth has the potential to resume beyond the pandemic: in addition to consumer goods, the genie is out the bottle for home grocery delivery, which many consumers, having experienced it for the first time, will want to continue. Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) are the backbone of this growing demand for delivery infrastructure.

In the future, all materials scientists and chemists will have access to machine learning tools to enhance their R&D. Seamlessly integrating these underlying operations will not happen quickly, but overlooking the developments in materials informatics will lead to a loss of any competitive advantage.

Solid-state batteries keep attracting tremendous attention and investment with the maturing technologies and closeness to mass production. Even with the influence of COVID-19, the potential market size is expected to grow to over $6 billion by 2030 according to IDTechEx.

28th July - From this webinar, you will learn: An introduction of thin, flexible and printed batteries; Common technologies applied in these batteries; Potential applications and special focus; and Current status and future opportunities

A short (8min) presentation on how "New Materials Make Supercapacitors Better than Batteries", sharing some of the research from the new IDTechEx report, "Supercapacitor Materials and Formats 2020-2040".

Robotics, automotive, energy and healthcare. Interview with Dr Peter Harrop on his new report: Sensors 2021-2041