The trio of American John Goodenough, British Stanley Whittingham and Japan's Akira Yoshino won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their invention of lithium batteries.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday honored the American John Goodenough, the British Stanley Whittingham and the Japanese Akira Yoshino for the invention of lithium batteries, now present in many everyday technologies.

Technology used everywhere

"This type of lightweight, rechargeable and powerful battery is now used everywhere, in telephones and computers and electric vehicles, and it can also conserve significant amounts of solar and wind energy, paving the way for a society free of fossil fuels." explained the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the prize.