Lithium-ion batteries, with their high energy density and high safety, have surged ahead, quickly leaving other rechargeable batteries behind. In just over a decade, lithium-ion batteries have dominated the consumer electronics market and expanded into the electric vehicle sector, achieving remarkable success. Currently, lithium-ion batteries—specifically, lithium-ion batteries—have become a crucial power source for electric vehicles, and their development has spanned three generations of technology. 

       Lithium cobalt oxide cathodes are the first generation, lithium manganese oxide and lithium iron phosphate are the second generation, and ternary technology is the third generation. As cathode and anode materials develop towards higher specific capacity and safety technologies gradually mature and improve, higher energy density battery technology is moving from the laboratory to industrialization and being applied to more scenarios. 

      Currently, lithium-ion batteries are playing an increasingly important role in our lives, from mobile phones and digital products to electric vehicles and ships. 

       However, at the same time, accidents caused by lithium battery safety issues are equally impressive. 

Safety accidents involving lithium-ion electric vehicles occur frequently, with electric vehicles colliding with cars and catching fire or even spontaneously combusting. 

      According to a 2019 research report on power battery safety released by the Tsinghua University Battery Safety Laboratory, spontaneous combustion incidents involving electric vehicles have continued to occur frequently since 2019. Incomplete statistics indicate that there have been over 40 such incidents. Domestic and international media reported on vehicle safety incidents related to power batteries from January to July 2019. In 2019, the State Administration for Market Regulation ordered the recall of 33,281 new energy vehicles. Of these, 6,217 were recalled due to power battery issues, accounting for 18.68% of the total number of new energy vehicles recalled in 2019. 

      Besides safety concerns, lithium batteries are often criticized for their limited battery life and cycle life. 

      Fast charging seems essential for electric vehicles, but the high current forces lithium ions to migrate rapidly inside the battery, easily leading to lithium deposition. Over long-term use, battery capacity rapidly declines. In severe cases, lithium deposits accumulate and form lithium branches. Crystals can puncture the separator, causing internal short circuits, resulting in thermal runaway and fires. Furthermore, from an energy system innovation perspective, lithium-ion batteries alone cannot fundamentally change the traditional energy structure. Due to the limited lithium resources in South America (approximately 17 ppm) and their uneven distribution (approximately 70 ppm), my country currently relies on imports for 80% of its lithium resources. Lithium-ion batteries are insufficient to support the development of both the electric vehicle and grid energy storage industries. Therefore, the replacement of lithium-ion batteries with alternative energy storage technologies has become a focal point of competition in new energy technologies worldwide, and the question of which technology will succeed lithium-ion batteries as the next energy storage solution is attracting considerable attention. 

       Currently, solid-state batteries such as rechargeable alkaline zinc batteries, lithium metal batteries, and lithium-sulfur batteries will help electrify more mobility. Low-cost, long-life batteries, such as zinc-based and liquid batteries, and high-temperature technologies, will be well-suited for providing grid balancing in future high-renewable energy and electric vehicles. 

In addition, the industry is taking a wait-and-see approach to the issue of high-power batteries ensuring high car penetration and fast charging. 

       In the era of new energy, electrification is an inevitable trend. The world's dominant lithium-ion battery market has opened important new market doors for other emerging battery technologies poised for commercialization. Clearly, breakthrough battery technologies will play a central role in future energy systems. In the transition to a clean energy economy, battery technology is creating more value and various new opportunities, which also demonstrates societal progress from another perspective.