Future batteries to charge in seconds?
Currently there are two main methods, accessible to consumers, to store energy: batteries or capacitors. Capacitors have the advantage of being able to charge and discharge energy in a matter of seconds; the disadvantage being they are large and bulky. Batteries are much more compact, but by using chemical reaction to store and discharge power, they take hours to charge and discharge.
For flash photography, I have some Speedotron strobes that have large 2400 Ws (or joules) power packs that use capacitors that store enough energy (through a flash head) to light the Dean Smith Center. The packs are able to store energy (from a 120V household socket) in 2 seconds, and discharge them in less than 1/1000 of second. I’m not an electrical engineer, but I would guess that if the power packs used batteries instead of capacitors, it would take hours to charge, and hours to discharge. In sports photography, 2 seconds is long enough.
Imagine if you could charge your cell phone in a few seconds? Well, it could be done if your cell phone used capacitors. Of course, your cell phone may weigh over 20 lbs. if you did that. But changing technology suggests in the future, capacitors may be built smaller. The implications are staggering, and I highly suggest you read this article to learn more.