Happy 2026! To mark the New Year, I recently asked some battery experts in my network about the technologies that they’re most looking forward to watching over the next twelve months.
These experts are people that my colleagues and I at Mewburn Ellis have met, such as at dedicated events or from assisting them with the intellectual property strategy for their innovative developments.
One of the most interesting things that I find about the batteries field is the variety of roles that it has created, as different companies specialise in particular aspects of this exciting technology. And so, it was great to get some different perspectives about what we might expect to see happening in the near future – including developments lithium metal, sodium-ion and recycling technology, as well as the important considerations for how innovations break out of labs and make an impact commercially.
Having posted the views of four battery experts on LinkedIn, I’ve now compiled them together in this article below.
Kieran O’Regan (About:Energy)
Kieran, who is the co-founder of London startup About:Energy, talked about his excitement for the prospects of lithium metal batteries. Not to be confused with lithium-ion batteries, Kieran mentioned how this slow-burner technology is finally starting to take off:
“I'm looking forward to seeing lithium metal batteries reach practical applications and our labs for the first time. These use lithium metal as the anode instead of graphite, enabling a step change in energy density to around 400 to 600 Wh/kg. Challenges around swelling, safety, longevity, and manufacturability have only recently begun to be addressed."
“It is a full circle moment, as in the 1970s Nobel Prize winner Stan Whittingham first attempted to use lithium metal and titanium disulfide as electrodes, but there were some major safety concerns. After nearly 50 years of progress, the technology is finally approaching safe, manufacturable, high-voltage system integration into real-life applications.”
Robert Mitchell (CPI)
Robert works as Principal Scientist at CPI (a British technology and innovation social enterprise), and shared his insight on the remaining challenges to make sodium-ion technology break through to the market this year:
“I look forward to seeing further developments in sodium-ion chemistry in 2026. Sodium-ion will still be developing in 2026, but more cells are starting to circulate in the market as some key Chinese players begin to mass manufacture."
“The way LFP (lithium iron phosphate) has taken the world by storm shows the benefits of a cheap, “good enough” energy density. Sodium-ion, when it hits the right level of commercial reality, will enable more options for OEMs to optimise their products for specific customer needs. This could have benefits for stationary storage, micromobility and low-end automotive applications.“
Some of the key remaining challenges are:
- Maturity of supply chain – growing volumes of material needed for scale, and their consistency.
- Volumetric energy density – how much space is needed for the same energy, which currently lags behind LFP.
- Cost – this also lags behind LFP, but will improve as technology matures.”
Andrew Diamond (CellMine)
Andrew is Head of Engineering at cathode material specialists CellMine, and has expressed his hopes for progress in battery recycling innovations:
“End-of-life batteries represent a valuable untapped resource, but Western recycling faces substantial permitting issues. Processes which involve aggressive chemistry and generate substantial waste streams cause permitting challenges that can prevent operation or delay facilities for years."
“The technical opportunity is in developing pathways that recover battery-grade materials, while fitting within existing industrial frameworks – avoiding the regulatory barriers that have stalled adoption. Regions with growing EV fleets need recycling solutions that can be permitted and scaled at the pace to enable stable, resilient supply chains.”
Nicholas Yiu (Coreshell and Intercalation)
Nicholas is the co-founder of battery insight hub Intercalation, and works as Global Supply Chain Manager at silicon anode specialists Coreshell. He shared his intrigue for how innovations successfully go from laboratories to commercial applications, reminding us of the key factors that need to be accomplished:
“Innovation in battery technology is exciting, but what interests me most are the ever-changing real-world boundary conditions that determine whether those innovations can scale."
“Breakthrough technology isn't interesting unless it’s also: (1) economically viable, (2) manufacturable at scale, and (3) supported by a geopolitically stable supply chain. The most meaningful advances are the ones that can achieve all three.”
What about us at Mewburn Ellis?
We’re looking forward to the latest edition of Volta Foundation’s Battery Report, which is due to be published this month. Like last year, we are delighted to have contributed again to the Battery Report, and we will be publishing some articles soon with our comments on the some of the key topics. Stay tuned!
