Run by Chinese-American Qichao Hu, US firm SolidEnergy's Solid Polymer Ionic Liquid (SPIL) lithium battery's prototype cells (2Ah) demonstrated a world record 1,337 Wh/L energy density in tests, according to A123 Systems, a battery manufacturing company that also provides test and validation services.

SolidEnergy said the energy capacity per volume is more than twice that of conventional lithium-ion batteries currently used in most portable electronic devices, such as smartphones. Most smartphone batteries on the market have an energy density of less than 600 Wh/L.

Batteries made with SolidEnergy's technology could therefore potentially last twice as long as batteries of the same size, or take up only half the capacity of current ones.

"We are hoping to disrupt more than 20 years of domination of the consumer electronics and electronic vehicle industries by traditional li-ion batteries," Hu, CEO and founder of SolidEnergy, told the South China Morning Post. "We are confident our products could lead the next battery revolution that opens a new era in the next 20 years."