Tesla could also be planning to deploy a new platform called Autobidder in the nation. It uses Tesla’s machine-learning tech and cloud platform to optimize power utility assets, including battery packs, generating plants and distribution infrastructure. “Autobidder can be trusted to capture revenues immediately after project energization,” Tesla wrote on the product page. It already uses the tech at its Hornsdale battery installation, and said it has “added competition to drive down energy prices.”

The company may also be interested in deploying vehicle-grid tech on a larger scale. It recently teamed with Octopus energy in the UK to offer cheaper electricity tariffs to Telsa owners who also have solar panels, a Powerwall or both. “Your solar system, Powerwall and EV charging are connected to Tesla’s energy management platform,” the company wrote in a FAQ. “It is designed to improve the way you use your energy to power your lifestyle and allows any stored by your Powerwall to be exported back to the grid, to benefit both you and the community.”

Tesla has yet to say what it plans to do in the UK with an energy license, if it gets one, but Engadget has reached out to the company for comment.

According to IBM, the new design could outperform current lithium-ion batteries in cost, charging time (less than five minutes to reach an 80 percent charge), power density and energy efficiency. The battery is also less flammable, and it could be used in aircraft and smart energy grids, as well as electric cars and trucks.

IBM Research

The battery uses three new, proprietary materials, including a cobalt- and nickel-free cathode material and a liquid electrolyte. The unique combination is able to suppress lithium metal dendrites during charging, which lowers the chances that the battery will catch fire.

To move the new battery beyond the IBM Research Battery Lab, the team has partnered with Mercedes-Benz, battery electrolyte supplier Central Glass and battery manufacturer Sidus. While the team works out how to develop the battery, IBM Research will use AI to further improve battery performance and search for even safer, higher performing materials.