Japan, the EU and U.S. race to replace the lithium-ion battery

Researchers push the energy density of magnesium, zinc and other materials

Tokyo Metropolitan University professor Kiyoshi Kanamura has a battery that uses manganese oxide in the positive electrode and a magnesium metal in the negative electrode.

TAKURO KUSASHIO, Nikkei staff writer

November 21, 2021 12:00 JST

TOKYO -- The limitations of lithium-ion batteries, which have been powering our portable gadgets for three decades now, are becoming clear, and the race to replace them is well underway.

Magnesium-ion technology might offer one alternative, and zinc-ion tech another. Estimated time of arrival? Sometime after 2030.