A lithium-ion battery cell is displayed in front of the cut-model of the prototype of Nissan Motors second generation electronic vehicle (EV) at its Oppama GranDrive test course in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. Courtesy Getty Images.
Batteries have been around for 200 years, but they're still getting the blame for holding technology back.
The newest "ultra efficient" Lithium-Ion batteries are at the heart of the recent fires on the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Boeing is the first company to make extensive use of the batteries in an airliner. Those new planes are now grounded around the world.
In 2006 and 2007 more than 46 million cell phone batteries and 10 million laptop batteries were recalled because of overheating. All of them were the same Lithium-Ion design.
Electronic cars are also facing setbacks because the new battery technology isn't keeping up in the tech race. Some say the Lithium-Ion batteries cost too much and don't give drivers enough range in the car.
The Lithium-Ion battery is the newest advancement in battery technology. That battery was invented almost a quarter of a century ago.