New battery tech changes the game

Scientists in Korea have invented a way to recharge batteries up to 100 times faster than existing Li-ion batteries.

From hand tools to cars, faster charging batteries would be a significant selling point. From the description of this technology, it is possible that faster charging will be paired with higher discharge rates, allowing better response to short heavy loads. It doesn't appear that this technology will improve capacity or lower cost however, so the market impact may be limited to markets already using batteries, rather than penetrating into new markets.

I had hoped that ultracapacitors would move into this market space, being cheaper and lighter, and inherently fast to charge and supportive of high discharge rates when needed. That hasn't happened, and I'm not really sure if this is due to the recession making companies reluctant to invest in new tech and advertizing to show it to the public, or if there's some engineering issue which is holding the conversion back.