ROOT / BATTERY // DECODED CHEMISTRIES: — · STATUS: LIVE
Battery // Decoded

Stored
lightning.

Every modern machine — phone, car, grid, satellite — runs on a chemical reaction in a sealed can. This is the battery index: every major chemistry from Volta's 1800 pile to solid-state, spec'd on voltage, energy density, life and cost, plus the technologies racing to replace lithium-ion.

1800
Volta builds the first battery
1991
Sony ships the first Li-ion cell
about 90%
Li-ion pack cost fall since 2010
solid-state
The next leap in the lab
// Cell telemetry

The chemistry, by the numbers

Data graphs cycling through energy density, voltage, cost, cycle life and the march of chemistry. Auto-advances; hover to pause, click any chart for the detail, tap a dot to jump.

// The cells

Battery index — 1800 to today

Every major battery chemistry ever made, in order of invention — click any card for the full history and spec sheet.

// The frontier

The next battery

Lithium-ion won the last 30 years. These are the chemistries competing to define the next 30.

Solid-state

The solid electrolyte

Replaces the flammable liquid electrolyte with a solid ceramic or polymer, enabling a pure lithium-metal anode. The prize: roughly double the energy density, faster charging and far less fire risk. The obstacle: making defect-free solid electrolytes at scale and stopping lithium "dendrites" from shorting the cell.

Sodium-ion

Cheap, abundant sodium

Swaps lithium for sodium — thousands of times more abundant and cheap — with no lithium, cobalt or nickel. Lower energy density than Li-ion, but excellent cold-weather and safety behaviour and very low cost, already shipping in Chinese cars and grid storage.

Lithium-sulfur

Ultra-light chemistry

A sulfur cathode promises energy densities far beyond lithium-ion at a fraction of the material cost, making it a favourite for aviation and drones. Cycle life has been the sticking point as the sulfur electrode degrades, but new cell designs keep pushing it toward viability.

Silicon anode

More lithium per gram

Replacing graphite anodes with silicon can hold far more lithium and boost energy density 20-40%. Silicon swells as it charges, so the trick is engineering it — as nanostructures or composites — to survive thousands of cycles. Increasingly blended into today's best cells.

Grid storage

Flow & iron-air

For the grid, energy density matters less than cost and duration. Vanadium flow batteries store energy in liquid tanks you can scale independently, while iron-air cells use cheap iron and oxygen for multi-day storage — the key to firming up wind and solar.

Manufacturing

Dry electrodes & big cells

Some of the biggest gains aren't chemistry at all: dry-electrode coating removes toxic solvents and energy-hungry ovens, while larger-format cells like Tesla's 4680 and structural packs cut cost and parts. Cheaper manufacturing is quietly as important as the next chemistry.

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// Frontier dispatch · newest in batteries

The solid-state race

Where battery technology actually stands right now.

NEXT-GEN CELLS

Two chemistries are pulling battery research in opposite directions: richer and cheaper.

At the high end, solid-state batteries — swapping the liquid electrolyte for a solid and enabling a lithium-metal anode — promise roughly double today's energy density with less fire risk. Carmakers and startups are racing to solve manufacturing and dendrite problems, with the first cars expected late this decade.

At the low end, sodium-ion throws out lithium, cobalt and nickel entirely for cheap, abundant sodium. It stores less energy but costs less, survives the cold, and is already shipping in entry-level Chinese EVs and grid storage. Meanwhile LFP — cheap, safe, cobalt-free — has quietly taken over the mainstream, and pack prices near $100/kWh keep the whole electric transition moving.

> Sources: BloombergNEF · IEA · manufacturer figures. Energy-density and cost figures are typical ranges, not single products.