Lithium Air Battery Gives IBM Hope of Power Without Fires

Everyone who’s held a smartphone to the ear or watched a movie with a laptop balanced on their knees knows the devices get hot. Most are unaware the same battery technology is widely used in electric cars and has made few notable advances in a decade.

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries became costly for General Motors Co. after they caught fire in its plug-in Volt car during safety tests in 2011. They grounded Boeing Co.’s newest Dreamliner airplane in January.