Energy Storage

Something is stirring in the field of fuel cell vehicles.

We have had a feast of lithium-ion batteries as the number of manufacturers has doubled to 200 and pure electric cars have been late in arriving. Now that will change even with the gigafactories.

The electric bus market is growing at a CAGR of 20% in terms of unit sales. The rapid growth is a game changer for the battery market as electric buses require large-sized batteries ranging from 74 kWh (fast charging e-bus) to over 300 kWh (slow charging e-bus). This is why IDTechEx Research forecasts that the e-bus battery market will overtake the consumer electronics sector by 2020.

Analyst IDTechEx helps start-ups by letting them exhibit free in its big shows such as the forthcoming "IDTechEx Show!" in Berlin April 27-28 with over 150 exhibitors, over 2500 paying delegates and eight parallel conferences, two of them strongly featuring high power energy harvesting both from ambient energy and by recuperation in vehicles.

Whilst the majority of wearable technology products sold today still fit with the components-in-a-box design, 2015 has been a record year for investment in smart clothing and e-textile products.

Extreme vehicle concepts have a habit of appearing in a car near you.

Elon Musk recently announced the use of silicon by Tesla in its automotive batteries: "This is just sort of a baby step in the direction of using silicon in the anode, but we will be increasing the use". This unusual side comment has nonetheless triggered renewed interested in the topic.

Commercialization of solid-state battery indicates a new era for the US $135bn addressable battery market in a decade. IDTechEx Research forecasts that the market for solid-state batteries will exceed $4bn in 2026.

Interfacing with machines undergoes a constant evolution, allowing for wider adoption of computing devices over time, as interaction becomes more "natural". According to IDTechEx Research, smartglasses are bringing about the next big step in this ever-changing space.

Today's emerging technologies are varied, vast - and moving at the blink of an eye. Here are the top 10 key trends we'll see at the show that are changing the way the world lives, works and plays.