Batteries

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The Conversation

Batteries are the environmental Achilles heel of electric vehicles – unless we repair, reuse and recycle them

By Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Alex Stojcevski and Saad Mekhilef 05/24/23

Electric vehicle advocates say the cars ultimately have a smaller carbon footprint than their fossil-fuelled counterparts and could resolve our energy concerns for good. Well, fair enough, but questions arise when we dig into the…

The New York Times

Backup Power: A Growing Need, if You Can Afford It

By Ivan Penn and Peter Eavis 05/06/23

When frigid weather caused rolling blackouts on Christmas Eve across North Carolina, Eliana and David Mundula quickly grew worried about their 2½-week-old daughter, whom they had brought home days earlier from a neonatal intensive care…

Bloomberg

Idle Oil Wells’ Next Act? Becoming Batteries for Renewable Energy

By Coco Liu 05/05/23

The fan club for abandoned oil and gas wells is an exceedingly small one, but Kemp Gregory might just be the president. Where others see an eyesore or a source of rogue methane emissions, Gregory…

Wired

Tesla’s Magnet Mystery Shows Elon Musk Is Willing to Compromise

By Gregory Barber 05/01/23

The EV maker said it will expunge rare earths from its vehicles' motors, suggesting Tesla engineers will have to get creative.

MSN

New project aims to change how we power EV batteries forever: ‘The biggest source of lithium carbonate in the US’

By Eliot Engelmaier 04/24/23

North America’s very first battery-grade recycling hub just received a monumental boost in funding in the form of a $375 million loan. The hub will be financed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and will…

Good News Network

The Biggest EV Battery Recyling Plant Opens in the US

By Andy Corbley 04/12/23

Inside its walls, a Massachusetts-based startup will be harvesting lithium carbonate, cobalt, manganese, and other battery minerals and selling them back to the market, circumventing the huge challenges that come from opening new mines.

msn

NASA may have just cracked the code for replacing lithium in batteries for electric planes: ‘Double or even triple the energy it can store’

By Tokollo Matsabu 04/12/23

NASA believes it has cracked the code in the quest to make electric planes a more viable technology.

Forbes

Tesla To Build New Battery Factory In China: Report

By Matt Novak 04/09/23

Tesla plans to build a new factory in Shanghai, China, according to a report from Chinese state media outlet Xinhua. The factory will produce Tesla’s large storage battery, called the Megapack.

Inside Climate News

This Dime-Sized Battery Is a Step Toward an EV With a 1,000-Mile Range

By Dan Gearino 04/06/23

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory and the Illinois Institute of Technology have created a solid-state battery that could be used to vastly expand the range of EVs, and it could unlock the ability to use…

Nature

How to make lithium extraction cleaner, faster and cheaper — in six steps

By Andrew Z. Haddad and Others 04/06/23

Demand for lithium for batteries and other green technologies is exploding. The industry must develop sustainable methods to remove and process the element from ores and brines to avoid environmental damage.

oilprice.com

Tesla’s Pivot Away From Rare Earths Could Push Other Automakers To Follow Suit

By Ag Metal Miner 04/06/23

Rare Earths MMI dropped by 15.5% in March, but prices began to rise again by the end of the month.

Bloomberg

Mercedes G-Wagon Shows 20% Range Jump Coming for EV Batteries

By Tom Randall 04/04/23

After 12 years of development, a new category of range-boosting battery technology is moving into mass production for electric vehicles.

youtube

The future of high energy density batteries

10/25/22

Picture an entire city charged by batteries. This new battery design may unlock a new era of energy. Lithium-ion batteries are the gold standard, but there is much progress to be made. For example, one…

visual capitalist

The Top 10 EV Battery Manufacturers in 2022

10/05/22

The global electric vehicle (EV) battery market is expected to grow from $17 billion to more than $95 billion between 2019 and 2028. With increasing demand to decarbonize the transportation sector, companies producing the batteries…

CRS REPORT

Critical Minerals in Electric Vehicle Batteries

08/29/22

Expected growth of electric vehicle (EV) sales has led to concern about securing mineral inputs used in EV batteries. Various countries and companies have stated policies to accelerate the adoption of EVs in the transportation…

Virta

Vehicle-to-grid (V2g): Everything You Need To Know

06/17/22

V2G stands for “vehicle to grid” and is a technology that enables energy to be pushed back to the power grid from the battery of an electric car. With electric vehicle-to-grid technology—also known as car-to-grid—a…

energy

Cobalt is the most expensive material used in lithium-ion battery cathodes

03/07/22

With the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), demand for materials used to produce batteries is expected to increase dramatically. Aside from the lithium needed to produce modern lithium-ion batteries, much attention is focused on the…

The New York Times

How the U.S. Lost Ground to China in the Contest for Clean Energy

11/21/21

Tom Perriello saw it coming but could do nothing to stop it. André Kapanga too. Despite urgent emails, phone calls and personal pleas, they watched helplessly as a company backed by the Chinese government took…

The Mobilist

Why New Battery Tech Will Revolutionize The Transportation Industry

07/26/21

New battery technology has long been the ambition among automotive manufacturers. Industry players are hopeful that improved tech will bring improved energy density, longer lifespans, and faster recharging.

Treehugger

The Push for American Lithium Is a Sustainability Issue

07/21/21

In early July, General Motors announced it had made a “strategic investment” in Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR), a company that is planning to produce lithium for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in a cogeneration project with a geothermal…

carbontracker.org

Mineral constraints for transition overstated by IEA

05/10/21

The IEA looked into the amount of minerals needed to fuel the energy transition, and pretty quickly worked out ‘there is no shortage of resources’. The world has plenty of lithium, nickel, rare earth metals…

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Medium

The “Planet-Saving Technology” Set To Devastate The World

By Will Lockett 04/03/23

As we shift away from fossil fuels and towards a renewable-powered future, our needs change. For example, we need far more cobalt, manganese, zinc, copper, and nickel than ever before, given that they are integral…

The Boston Globe

Lithium is becoming more crucial in a warming world, but Maine’s huge deposits may never be mined because of environmental concerns

By David Abel 04/01/23

Five years ago, after much of their land had been logged in Western Maine, Gary Freeman and a colleague were bushwhacking through a thicket of raspberry shrubs and maple saplings, searching for a treasure they…

Politico Pro

Biden admin makes EV battery mineral deal with Japan

By Hannah Northey 03/28/23

But some Democratic lawmakers say these kinds of agreements need to be approved by Congress.

Reuters

S.Korea’s LGES revives Arizona battery factory with $5.6 bln investment

By Heekyong Yang and Hyunsu Yim 03/24/23

South Korea's LG Energy Solution Ltd (LGES) (373220.KS) said on Friday it would resume a stalled U.S. battery project with a $5.6 billion investment in Arizona to qualify for federal incentives rolled out under the…

Bloomberg

Made-in-US Rules for EV Batteries Shift in Fine Print of Climate Law

By Tom Randall 03/22/23

The interpretation of a few words of regulation by the US Treasury Department could upend expectations for how tens of billions of dollars in new electric-vehicle tax incentives will be distributed, according to Bloomberg discussions…

Yale Climate Connections

U.S. can shift to EVs without widespread, destructive mining, report finds

By Christopher Bonasia 03/21/23

The new report suggests limiting electric vehicle battery sizes and reducing car dependency to lower the demand for lithium by up to 66%.

Energy Monitor

US scientists make breakthrough for long-range EV batteries

By Oliver Gordon 03/20/23

The US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has developed a lithium-air battery that could significantly increase the range of electric vehicles. The new design could one day replace lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, and power cars,…

Medium

Ionblox: The Battery Startup Ready To Change The World

By Will Lockett 03/18/23

You may have noticed that there is a battery race going on right now. If you can make fast-charging, compact, easy-to-produce, and cheap batteries, then the world is your oyster. This has led to plenty…

The Hill

Battery recycling is key to a clean future

By Yan Wang 03/16/23

Battery recycling has become an important issue in the United States, and recent efforts by the federal government, private industry and academia suggest that the country is quickly making batteries more easily recycled, reused and…

TCD

This revolutionary new ‘air’ technology can quadruple the capacity of lithium batteries: ‘The next generation of batteries’

By Laurelle Stelle 03/14/23

Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Argonne National Laboratory have developed a so-called “lithium-air battery” that can store almost four times as much energy as a lithium-ion battery of the same size,…

Medium

A Tesla Co-Founder Just Solved EVs’ Biggest Problem

By Will Lockett 03/12/23

Electric vehicles are awesome. Instant torque, no asphyxiating tailpipe pollution, and overall far lower emissions than combustion vehicles — even if you charge them up with electricity from a coal-fired power plant. However, this doesn’t…

MIT Technology Review

These companies want to go beyond batteries to store energy

By Casey Crownhart 03/09/23

If y’all have been around for a while, you know that I love writing about batteries (see exhibits A, B, and C). Using chemical reactions to store energy is handy and scaleable, and there are…

msn

Engineers invent genius battery solution for storing solar and wind energy without lithium: ‘The first in the world to do something like this’

By Kecia Bal 03/04/23

Providing energy year-round has so far presented one of green power’s most insurmountable challenges — but now the world’s first fully functional sand battery, which can store green power for months, could present a valuable…

MIT Technology Review

Meet the new batteries unlocking cheaper electric vehicles

By Casey Crownhart 02/17/23

This week, Ford announced plans for a new factory in Michigan that will produce lithium iron phosphate batteries for its electric vehicles. The plant, expected to cost $3.5 billion and begin production in 2026, would…

Reuters

Global demand for lithium batteries to leap five-fold by 2030- Li-Bridge

By Reuters 02/15/23

Global demand for lithium batteries is expected to surge more than five-fold by 2030, public-private alliance Li-Bridge said on Wednesday, as more people opt for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

Politico

GOP’s newest attack on Biden’s climate law: China

By Kelsey Tamborrino and Josh Siegel 02/14/23

GOP objections to Chinese involvement in clean-energy projects threaten to complicate the president's efforts to create a U.S.-based supply chain for green power....

The New York Times

Ford Will Build a U.S. Battery Factory With Technology From China

By Neal E. Boudette and Keith Bradsher 02/13/23

Ford Motor said on Monday that it planned to build a $3.5 billion electric-vehicle battery factory in Michigan using technology licensed from a Chinese company that has become one of the most important players in…

The New York Times

Energy Dept. Will Lend $2 Billion to a Battery Component Maker

By Niraj Chokshi 02/09/23

The loan will help accelerate Redwood Materials’ plans to produce components for electric car batteries from new and recycled sources....

The Washington Post

Electric vehicles can now power your home for three days

By Michael J. Coren 02/07/23

When the power went out at Nate Graham’s New Mexico home last year, his family huddled around a fireplace in the cold and dark. Even the gas furnace was out, with no electricity for the…

Axios

Scoop: Biden’s EV surprise

By Joann Muller 02/01/23

The Biden administration's plan to jump-start a domestic supply chain for electric vehicles (EVs) is on track to shatter expectations.

Wired

Hey EV Owners: It’d Take a Fraction of You to Prop Up the Grid

By Matt Simon 01/23/23

If you agree to provide some of your car’s battery power in times of high energy demand, you’ll get paid, and help make the grid more stable.

Reuters

U.S. to lend ioneer $700 million for Nevada lithium mine

By Ernest Scheyder and Others 01/14/23

The U.S. Energy Department said on Friday it will lend ioneer Ltd (INR.AX), up to $700 million to build its Rhyolite Ridge lithium mining project in Nevada, a major step forward in President Joe Biden's…

Energy.gov

LPO Announces Conditional Commitment to Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge to Advance Domestic Production of Lithium and Boron, Boost U.S. Battery Supply Chain

01/13/23

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) has offered a conditional commitment to lend up to $700 million to Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC to develop a domestic supply of lithium carbonate for…

Energy.gov

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $42 Million to Develop More Affordable and Efficient Advanced Electric Vehicle Batteries in America

01/10/23

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $42 million in funding for 12 projects to strengthen the domestic supply chain for advanced batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs). Projects selected for the Electric Vehicles…

MIT Technology Review

What’s next for batteries

By Casey Crownhart 01/04/23

Every year the world runs more and more on batteries. Electric vehicles passed 10% of global vehicle sales in 2022, and they’re on track to reach 30% by the end of this decade. Policies around…

Medium

This Breakthrough Battery Will Literally Last Forever

By Will Lockett 12/19/22

Recently, I had to replace my phone because the battery died. I tell a lie — it puffed up, broke its internal electronics, and threatened to explode. That was a fun day at the office!…

Forbes

Tesla Cofounder Aims To Rev Up U.S. EV Battery Market With $3.5 Billion South Carolina Plant

By Alan Ohnsman 12/14/22

Redwood Materials, the battery recycling and components maker created and run by Tesla cofounder JB Straubel, is accelerating its push to build a U.S. supply base for critical components for electric vehicle batteries with plans…

The Houston Chronicle

Power companies rush to install batteries in Texas, California, amid concern over grid reliability

By James Osborne 12/12/22

Within three years, a surge of new large-scale battery projects is expected to come online on Texas and California's power grids, as developers seek to store electricity produced by those state’s sprawling wind and solar…

Inside Climate News

The EV Battery Boom Is Here, With Manufacturers Investing Billions in Midwest Factories

By Dan Gearino 10/27/22

Last week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at the headquarters of Our Next Energy, a battery manufacturing startup in Novi, a Detroit suburb. This is an increasingly common scene as demand for…

Fortune

Elon Musk says a lithium shortage is holding back Tesla. His solution? Building a lithium refinery in Texas

By Sean O' Kane 10/20/22

Tesla is moving forward with plans to build a lithium refinery on the Texas Gulf Coast in a bid to gain more control over the supply chain for electric vehicle batteries. Chief Executive Officer Elon…

Energy.gov

Biden-Harris Administration Awards $2.8 Billion to Supercharge U.S. Manufacturing of Batteries for Electric Vehicles and Electric Grid

10/19/22

The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), today announced the first set of projects funded by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and…

Axios

Lithium prices putting pressure on electric vehicle costs

By Nathan Bomey 09/22/22

Lithium prices have more than quadrupled over the last year as the rush from automakers to produce electric vehicles gains momentum. Why it matters: The spike in prices for raw lithium — a key material…

Yale Climate Connections

Lithium: Storing more clean power with less pollution

By Peter Sinclair 09/15/22

The renewable energy revolution will require the world to ratchet-up lithium production to make batteries for electric cars and devices. As with all mining, there are concerns about lithium mines, but some experts overstate the…

WSJ

Tesla Looking Into Building Lithium Refinery

By Dean Seal 09/09/22

Tesla Inc. TSLA 1.58%▲ is looking into constructing a battery-grade lithium hydroxide refining facility that could support its electric-vehicle battery production. The car maker said in a form to the Texas Comptroller’s Office that it…

The Guardian

Crab and lobster shells could be used to make renewable batteries

By Sofia Quaglia 09/01/22

Scientists want to use a chemical found in crab and lobster shells to make batteries more sustainable, according to research. “We think both biodegradability of material, or environmental impact, and the performance of the batteries…

Forbes

California’s Lithium Rush For EV Batteries Hinges On Taming Toxic, Volcanic Brine

By Alan Ohnsman 08/31/22

Wander the unpaved, dusty, rural roads southeast of California’s troubled Salton Sea on a baking, 112-degree Fahrenheit August afternoon and two things soon stand out. Improbably, this desert-adjacent part of the Golden State is a…

Noahpinion

Decade of the battery

By Noah Smith 08/30/22

In 2015, Benedict Evans wrote a very influential piece called “The smartphone is the new sun”. By the middle of the 2010s, it was pretty clear that that decade would be defined in many ways…

The Verge

The Department of Energy wants feedback on how to recycle lithium-ion batteries

By Justine Calma 08/30/22

The Department of Energy just took a first step toward launching new lithium-ion battery recycling programs in the US. It issued a Request for Information (RFI) yesterday to ask for public input on how to…

Popsci

New ‘super-fast’ method can shave EV battery charging down to minutes

By Andrew Paul 08/29/22

Electric vehicles are key to a sustainable future for the planet, but while EVs continue their steady rise within the automotive industry, many drivers remain skeptical of making the major change. There are a number…

Wired

A New Approach to Car Batteries Is About to Transform EVs

By Mark Andrews 08/29/22

WEIGHT IS ONE of the biggest banes for car designers and engineers. Batteries are exceedingly heavy and dense, and with the internal combustion engine rapidly pulling over for an electric future, the question of how…

Wall Street Journal

Honda, LG Energy Plan $4.4 Billion EV Battery Factory in U.S.

By River Davis and Others 08/29/22

Honda Motor Co. HMC 1.75%▲ and LG Energy Solution Ltd. 373220 2.94%▲ said Monday they plan to build a $4.4 billion electric-vehicle battery factory in the U.S., the latest tie-up between auto makers and battery…

Medium

MIT’s new battery will change the world

By Will Lockett 08/28/22

It’s cheaper, faster charging, longer lasting, safer and better for the environment than anything we currently have.

Bloomberg

Tesla’s Former Energy Head Has a New Electric-Home Startup

By Angel Adegbesan 08/24/22

Tesla’s former head of energy is officially launching Lunar Energy, a new startup aimed at simplifying the transition to full home electrification. Kunal Girotra, who was until February 2020 Tesla’s senior director of energy operations,…

Axios

The electric car Battery Belt is reshaping America’s heartland

By Joann Muller 08/17/22

The climate bill President Biden signed into law yesterday will open up tens of billions of dollars in subsidies for high-tech electric vehicle plants across the South and the Midwest. Why it matters: The package…

Wired

The New Climate Bill Demands All-American EV Batteries

By Aarian Marshall and Others 08/15/22

THE LACK OF a US supply chain for electric vehicle battery materials is often spun as a tale of inconvenient geography. In many ways, this is true. There’s cobalt from the Congo. Indonesian nickel. Latin…

Utilitydive

A looming graphite shortage could snarl the EV battery supply chain

By Kate Magill 07/28/22

Experts warn that supply of a key component in electric vehicles is hurtling towards a tipping point when global demand will outstrip supply — a moment that could come as early as this year.

The New York Times

Energy Department will lend G.M. and LG $2.5 billion to build battery factories.

By Jack Ewing 07/25/22

The U.S. Energy Department said Monday that it would lend $2.5 billion to a battery maker owned by General Motors and LG Energy Solution to build battery factories, advancing the Biden administration’s plan to promote…

The New York Times

Ford increases its battery supply to meet its electric-vehicle goals.

By Neal E. Boudette 07/21/22

Ford Motor said on Thursday that it had reached an agreement to acquire battery packs from a Chinese supplier as it races to ramp up its global production of electric vehicles. The automaker said it…

Reuters

Net zero climate target could fail without more copper supply -report

By Ernest Scheyder 07/15/22

Efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 are likely to remain out of reach as copper supply fails to match demand amid growing use of solar panels, electric vehicles and other renewable technologies, data from…

The New York Times

Advanced E.V. Batteries Move From Labs to Mass Production

By Jack Ewing 07/13/22

Makers of batteries that could charge in a few minutes are setting up assembly lines, bringing the technology a big step closer to auto showrooms. ...

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