The past, present and future of lithium ion batteries

In 2019 the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists including John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino, for the development of lithiumion batteries. This shows that lithium ion batteries have been widely and highly recognized for their huge impact on human society. In this article we review the history of lithium ion batteries from their birth to the current commercial rechargeable versions, and further anticipate the new opportunities and challenges they face in the future.