A University of Texas at Dallas researcher, however, is working on technology to charge EV batteries 10 times faster. The research also could be applied to lithium-ion batteries used in other electronics, such as cellphones, drones and cameras, Zhou said. “For renewable energy, we need energy storage,” Zhou said. The three-year project is designed to use structural batteries to expand energy storage in electric airplanes. Structural batteries are incorporated into the structure of the plane to provide both battery power and structural support.