Biden-Harris Admin Launches $675 Million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Program to Expand Domestic Critical Materials Supply…
DOE Seeks Public Input on Critical Materials Research Program to Strengthen Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing in America
cobalt
VW Group and Canadian Government Team Up To Secure Battery Minerals
Rare earth minerals and other battery materials are shaping up to be very important on the geopolitical stage. As this piece at Quartz points out, China’s grip on the minerals that drive not only clean technologies, but other important things like medical imaging, came to a head for Japan in … [continued]
The Hardest (& Best) Thing About The US Clean Vehicle Tax Credit
There’s been a lot of discussion about the new Clean Vehicle Credit in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that is making its way toward Joe Biden’s desk (having left the Senate, it’s now just got to get through the House of Representatives). However, for all of the simple — … [continued]
What Does America’s EV Supply Chain Look Like? We Mapped It!
It is imperative that the United States adopt policies that will improve both the sustainability and security of the materials supply needed to enable a clean energy transition. The policies the Biden administration has advanced through executive action and Congress is currently considering through this climate deal will help meet this goal.
Recycling Lead-Acid Batteries Is Easy. Why Is Recycling Lithium-ion Batteries Hard?
By James Morton Turner, an environmental studies professor at Wellesley College and author of the forthcoming book “Charged: A History of Batteries and Lessons for a Clean Energy Future.” He published the lead op-ed in the journal Science’s special climate change issue last month (June 24, 2022).
Greener Electric Car Batteries? (Ask A Scientist)
Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular battery in use today. First commercialized in 1991, their cost has declined by a remarkable 97 percent over the last three decades, enabling the rapid growth of mobile phones, laptops, and, more recently, electric cars. Global demand for the batteries is projected to increase dramatically by … [continued]
Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chains 101
An overview of electric vehicle battery materials, supply chains, key challenges, and current federal government actions.
Battery Mineral Extraction — the Huge New Constraint on EV Adoption
The timeline of a transition to a new technology can be seen as a series of constraints — obstacles that temporarily prevent the new technology from displacing the old. These obstacles aren’t always technological — sometimes they have to do with economic or social factors. Of course, to the croakers and … [continued]
The Metals Company Announces Successful Trial Of Its Riser Pipe & Jumper Hose
The Metals Company and Allseas have announced the successful deepwater commissioning of its riser pipe and jumper hose. These tools are designed to lift polymetallic nodules from the seafloor to the surface. The nodules typically fit inside the palm of your hand (they sent me one in 2020 as a … [continued]
Refining, Tesla’s Next Frontier
In this article, I’m going to highlight a truly outstanding YouTube channel, “The Limiting Factor,” and in particular, a recent video summarizing the battery news that came out of Tesla’s recent 1st quarter earnings call. This 80-minute video has enough material to make about 10 articles, but I’m going to … [continued]
