HighFlex Solar's flexible panel

HighFlex Solar – This early stage startup produces flexible lightweight solar panels for a variety of uses including for the automotive market.

The flexible panels dispense with the ‘glass sandwich’ approach used by most photovoltaic module vendors.  Treves [the CEO] claims that this allows for a six-percent increase in power generation because of increased transmissivity. This also potentially allows a lot more of the environment in — so Treves has to prove that the product can handle thermal cycling, impact and UV.

Learn more:  Greentechmedia.com

Lithium Air Batteries – Companies large and small such as IBM and PolyPlus of Berkeley, CA are working to develop lithium air batteries which could potentially greatly increase the power to weight ratio of lithium based batteries.  PolyPlus uses a ceramic membrane that allows oxygen to pass but not water which would be a problem given the highly reactive nature of lithium.  IBM is on track to develop a demo battery based on their technology for a full-size car by mid-decade.  Learn more:  Forbes.com