Scientists in the United States invented lithium-ion batteries, but Japanese electronics company Sony Corp. first commercialized them to power personal devices like cassette players and video cameras. Lithium-ion batteries became essential to powering cell phones, model airplanes and power tools. Tesla put 6,800 lithium-ion batteries inside a roadster in 2006, which led to the company’s first car, the Tzero. This was the start of the development of plug-in electric vehicles. Arlington, Virginia-based AES used the lithium-ion car batteries to fuel the North American power grid through its 100 MW battery.
