We are curating an article by Nature.com concerning replacing lithium batteries with other technology. Yesterday, we discussed how the rare materials are becoming too expensive. We also appear to be reaching the technology’s upper limits. Therefore, we need a new type of electrode so we can begin phasing out lithium batteries gradually.
Phasing Out Lithium Has Become Priority, Nature.com Says
“We call on materials scientists, engineers, and funding agencies to prioritize the research and development of electrodes based on abundant elements,” Nature.Com says. “Otherwise the roll-out of electric cars will stall within a decade.”
The rarity of cobalt will make phasing out lithium batteries inevitable, it warns. A lithium-ion car battery with a 100 kg cathode requires 6 to 2 kg of cobalt and 36 to 48 kg of nickel. Cobalt is rare because few reserves are rich enough to exploit. Supply from these could become politically unstable in the future. China has stockpiled up to 400,000 tons as a hedge against this.
More Compelling Reasons Why We Can No Longer Rely on Cobalt
If lithium technology continues in the same direction, then demand will exceed cobalt production by 2030 if trends continue. If we are manufacturing 10 to 20 million electric vehicles annually by then, we will be using almost all the world’s current production.
Moreover, we cannot stall phasing out lithium batteries by recycling them. Since the best ones now last for 15 to 20 years. This approach will never catch up in the light of an estimated 50 to 80 million new electric vehicles by 2050. Simply using less cobalt per battery is not a solution either. Because such electrodes degrade faster and they require more frequent replacement.
Therefore, we need to find ways to exploit more abundant materials such as iron and copper for example. Phasing out lithium is as inevitable as our need for green, renewable energy.
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