Battery Advances, Wireless Power Poised to Make Charging Less of a Problem

“By changing color, we can change sunlight reflection and thus change the thermal properties of the car,” BMW says.

French startup MACA is hyping a very different mode of transport, touting a one-third-sized model of a commercial flying race car that uses clean-burning hydrogen fuel cells. MACA says an actual “carcopter” will debut in 2023.

Hope for a better small battery

Decidedly more down-to-earth exhibitors include companies with technology advances in battery power that will start showing up in other products down the road. Enovix’s chief executive officer and cofounder, Harrold Rust, says his Silicon Valley-based company has come up with new battery design that can double the energy density of the standard lithium-ion batteries used in phones, laptops, tablets and wearables.

“The consumer electronics space is dying for better batteries.” Rust says.

Solar shingles that install like asphalt shingles

San Jose, California-based GAF Energy launched Timberland Solar, which the company says is the only roofing to put solar panel technology into shingles that can be fastened with a nail gun and installed like asphalt roof shingles. The price of Timberland shingles will square with the cost of a new roof with more conventional shingles and tack-mounted solar panels, according to GAF Energy. Timberland Solar shingles are available in Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, with additional states to follow.

GAF Energy is the sister company of GAF, which it says is behind 1 out of every 4 roof installations in the U.S. and is the largest roofing and waterproofing company in North America. GAF and GAF Energy are subsidiaries of New York-based Standard Industries.

GAF Energy said it worked with Sandia National Laboratories, a U.S. Department of Energy contracted research and development lab, to verify Timberland Solar’s “strength, durability and overall market-readiness.” In a statement, GAF Energy President Martin DeBono proclaimed solar roofs “the future of clean energy.”

This TV remote needs no disposable batteries

Samsung

Last year, Samsung came out with a TV remote control that relied on solar power rather than standard disposable off-the-shelf batteries, allowing it to be charged with sunlight or indoor light. This year, Samsung is doubling down.

Its new Eco Remote is solar powered but also equipped with radio frequency (RF) harvesting technology. That means it can be charged even at night using radio waves converted into energy from wireless routers and other devices in the home.

The new remote pairs with Samsung’s 2022 lineup of televisions and initially will not be sold separately. In keeping with an emphasis on environmentally friendly technology, the wand-shaped remote is built out of eco-friendly materials.

Charge your phone anywhere in the car

Aira

Many people are accustomed to charging phones and other devices wirelessly in the car by placing them in a cubby or on a rail to hold the device in place, sometimes with mixed results. The FreePower for Automotive technology that Chandler, Arizona-based Aira says it has developed will let you place a handset that allows wireless charging pretty much on any surface of the car, or at least in an area where an automaker chooses.

More than one device can be charged at the same time, which may help you avoid fights with family members clamoring to use the one charger in your vehicle. Earbuds and other devices that meet the Qi (pronounced “chee”) industry wireless standard also can be charged.

You can also throw down your credit cards and keys without having to worry about FreePower damaging them, says Aira’s chief operating officer, Simon McElrea. The technology will start showing up in vehicles by the end of 2022.

“The dream about wireless charging is forgetting about charging,” he says.