Google has put its secretive Google X division to work on developing batteries for future mobile technology.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the Google X team is hoping to improve lithium-ion and solid-state batteries.
Dr Ramesh Bhardwaj, a former Apple battery engineer, is allegedly heading the team up.
Google X began testing batteries developed for Google products by third parties towards the end of 2012.
Roughly one year later, the team began working on batteries that Google could potentially develop itself.
The report claims the company wants to develop battery technology for a wide-range of Google products, including its self-driving cars.
Bhardwaj is also reportedly interested in improving battery life for Google Glass, purportedly with ‘solid-state, thin-film batteries’.
This technology will also be able to operate in smartphones and other mobile devices due to being thinner, more bendable, and apparently even implantable in human bodies.
Related: What is Google X?
“Google wants to control more of their own destiny in various places along the hardward supply chain,” said Lior Susan, head of hardware strategy at venture-capital firm Formation 8, speaking in the report.
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We recently reported on a new battery technology courtesy of researchers at Stanford University, which promised charging times of just one minute.
Batteries are still a huge sticking point for mobile technology, particularly with the emergence of wearables as a growing product category.
Apple’s new Apple Watch, for instance, promises a meagre 18-hour battery life, which may struggle to woo charge-conscious customers.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
