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NPR Tiny Desk Concert: Simone Dinnerstein, Bach Two-Part Inventions

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Amory Blaine6/08/2014 4:39:30 pm PDT

Ford and Samsung’s new lithium-ion battery may send lead-acid units to the scrap heap

The lead-acid car battery was invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Plant, and if you pop open the hood of your car right now, you’ll probably see something very similar to his first prototype. For all the advancements cars have made over the years, its batteries have remained eerily unchanged.
This Tuesday, Ford and technology mogul Samsung announced a dual-battery system for gas-powered vehicles that could be the beginning of the end for the lead-acid battery.
Ford and Samsung have combined a lithium-ion battery with a 12-volt lead-acid unit, creating a new, lighter, and more flexible power source. The new concept has massive potential for fuel savings, as the lithium-ion component can be recharged through regenerative braking.