VIEWS on BATTERY NEWS: Ultracapacitor gets close to prototype. Samsung S7 replacements come with questions. LG building another factory.

A capacitor maker, UltraCap Ltd., is set to bring their new energy storage device into final testing. They plan to replace Sealed Lead Acid batteries, which are mostly used to start cars.

That means this capacitor will probably have a large leap in capacity over current versions. It probably will have a low self-discharge. And the cost will probably be only 2-4 times as much as SLA. This is probably the only way a capacitor can replace the robust starter battery.

But since a comparison to SLA is being made, capacity is probably not near Li-Ion, while cost is probably near the same.

Samsung has been replacing S7 units as quick as they can. And now that people have gotten a hold of the new devices, there are new reports of excess heat. This might be nothing, but we suggest Samsung move fast to get to the bottom of the new reports to make sure this doesn't turn from a jab into a knockout 1-2 combination.

LG is building another factory. This time in Poland. LG has battery factories outside of S. Korea, notably in Michigan, United States. That factory has not been running at capacity. Still, the factory is paying for itself, so the company is betting on the future and breaking ground in Poland to have a leg up in European markets.

And when the US EV market picks up, they won't have to build a factory but they'll just turn up the speed on their factory in Michigan.