A solid-state battery breakthrough may be taking shape in Maryland

Forward-looking: In a quiet corner of Beltsville, Maryland, a new chapter in battery technology is unfolding. Ion Storage Systems, a company that began as a university research project, has emerged as a leading contender in the race to commercialize solid-state batteries – a technology long promised but rarely delivered at scale.

After a recent visit to the company's Maryland facility, The Wall Street Journal concluded that Ion Storage Systems stands out as a company with a real chance of achieving this long-sought breakthrough. Backed by the US Department of Energy and private investors, Ion's batteries are now rolling off the production line, with early units already being tested by the Department of Defense and major electronics manufacturers.

Solid-state batteries are often described as the holy grail of energy storage. Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, which use a liquid electrolyte and a graphite anode, solid-state batteries replace the liquid with a ...