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Episode 620: Why Batteries Suck

Stephen Henn
/
NPR

Most technology has been getting faster, smaller, and cheaper, every year. Everything except batteries.

This is not just a problem for the iPhone 6 Plus owners of the world. It's holding back two of the biggest technological revolutions in the world: electric cars and solar power. A better, cheaper battery could save the world.

Today on the show, we find out why battery technology is stuck, and meet some of the people trying to make them better.

Music: Minusbaby's "Bacalao Bombao" and Electric Six's "Danger! High Voltage." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/ Spotify/ Tumblr.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.