Manganese is earth-abundant and cheap. A new process could help make it a contender to replace nickel and cobalt in batteries. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are growing in adoption, used in devices like smartphones and laptops, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. But supplies of nickel and cobalt commonly used in … [continued]
Dry coating of cathodes and anodes is what Tesla expected when it bought Maxwell Technologies but results remain elusive.
Manganese nodules from the ocean floor could help feed the supply chain for EV batteries, but does the world need deep-sea mining?
Researchers in China say they have found a way to make manganese ion batteries that will be much less expensive to manufacture.
Looks like there is more than one way to skin a cat. The USA has effectively locked out Chinese batteries from its domestic market, but what if components like LFP cathodes are made in Morocco, in a factory financed by a Chinese–Korean partnership? Sounds complicated, but it might just work, … [continued]
Deep sea mining, carbon capture, and geoengineering. Three ideas that treat the symptoms but not the cause of global warming.
In July 2020, I interviewed the EV battery mineral experts at RK Equity for the first time. The core story was clear: there was growing demand for electric vehicles, but not enough investment in EV battery mineral mining, and lithium mining in particular. The result was as predictable as could … [continued]
An overview of electric vehicle battery materials, supply chains, key challenges, and current federal government actions.
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]
We don’t need nickel from Russia. There is a critical need for nickel and other EV battery metals worldwide, but we don’t need to get it from Russia. In March 2022, Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas shared worries about Russia’s outsized role in the nickel supply chain for EVs. CNBC’s Phil … [continued]
