In a lab just outside Boston, Tufts University professor and engineer Mike Zimmerman and his team have created what might be the next generation lithium-ion battery that will safely power our phones, cars, and more.

The key to the invention is a solid plastic electrolyte, the substance that bridges the gap between the positive and negative electrodes. In most lithium-ion batteries, the electrolyte is a liquid, and that can make them vulnerable to fire or explosion when hit or pierced. Those vulnerabilities were recently on display in the recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones, where the battery would spontaneously explode or catch fire because a corner of the battery casing was too small, bending one of the electrodes and increasing the risk of short circuits.

But Zimmerman’s battery can withstand repeated damage without risking explosion or fire. In fact, it can continue to power devices even after most of it has been chopped away.