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A lithium deposit discovered in a volcanic crater along the Nevada-Oregon border may hold up to 40 million metric tons of the rare metal — possibly the largest ever in the world, which could have a massive impact on the electric vehicle industry, according to a new study. The deposit hidden within the McDermitt Caldera is estimated to hold between 20 million and 40 million metric tons, which would be nearly double the current record of about 23 million metric tons found over the summer beneath a Bolivian salt flat, researchers reported in Science Advances. It would also greatly boost...

They’ve hit the mother lode. We may no longer need to rely on foreign batteries to power our electronics. Geologists have announced that the Appalachian Mountains could be hiding a sprawling multi-billion-dollar cache of lithium that could last the US hundreds of years. “This research shows that the Appalachians contain enough lithium to help meet the nation’s growing needs,” declared US Geological Survey Director Ned Mamula in a statement. According to a map by the institution, this East Coast mountain range houses around 2.5 metric tons of this battery precursor, most of which is concentrated in the Carolinas, Maine and...

(Kitco News) – Gold has had a breakout year as the yellow metal surged to new heights above $2,500 while its grey counterpart, silver, has struggled to keep pace, but that could soon change, according to one analyst, as silver demand is expected to increase thanks to one new technological development from Samsung. According to retired investment professional Kevin Bambrough, Samsung has developed a new solid-state (SS) battery. The inclusion of silver as a key component, combined with the increasing demand for electric vehicles, means that demand for the grey metal will soon increase. “The key drivers that will ramp...

Summary: * Samsung's 600-mile solid-state battery could revolutionize EVs, offering longer range and faster charging times, setting new standards. * Solid-state batteries replace lithium-ion, boosting energy density and safety, making them a game-changer in the EV market. * Challenges of scaling production and cost remain, but collaboration among companies may accelerate the adoption of solid-state batteries in the future. ================================================================= As electric vehicles (EVs) continue to become a bigger and bigger part of the automotive industry, snagging an eight percent market share according to recent data, one of the biggest hurdles remaining for dominance is battery technology. Sure, something like...

You know things are serious when big tech hops aboard. It’s easy to see why battery tech advancements are all the buzz in the EV scene these days. I mean, anyone who’s anyone in the automotive and motorcycle industries is working hard in pushing the bounds of electrification. But up to now, the biggest hurdle when it comes to EVs is reducing charging time and increasing range. This is where solid-state (SS) batteries enter the picture. We’ve been talking about these things here on RideApart for quite some time now. And the potential they have in the future of mobility...

Chery Automobile, a Chinese automaker, recently released a prototype solid-state battery that offers double the energy density of current EV batteries. Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story. * Solid-state batteries are the next quantum leap for EVs, unlocking more range, performance, and longevity. * Chery Automobile’s prototype battery module boasts a 600 Wh/Kg energy density—double the energy density of most current EV batteries. * Chery’s new battery is also puncture-resistant, significantly reducing the risk of fire should any of the cells be damaged. ============================================== Energy density is the latest hot pursuit for unlocking more range and performance...

Times, they are a changing....Reminber i told you so...

While Chinese manufacturers have burst out in front of the pack with semi-solid-state battery achievements, other manufacturers around the world are working hard to get their own cells developed and validated. Based in Massachusetts, Factorial Energy has been working on its lithium-metal quasi-solid-state technology for over a decade, attracting backing and collaboration from major automakers like Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai. It's aiming for a long-range, energy-dense battery that costs the equivalent of lithium-ion units and rolls off the same production lines. This month, it sent out its first round of B-samples to Mercedes-Benz for further testing and development. Factorial first...

Battery tech is evolving at such a pace that it’s difficult to keep up with what’s happening across the industry. On a global level, several OEMs have committed to commercialising solid-state batteries by the end of the decade. Toyota plans to launch its first solid-state battery-powered EV by 2028, while BYD and CATL are looking at 2027 for introducing their version of these new-age batteries. Enter, BMW. While the Bavarian marque was already invested in the idea with Solid Power, this new arrangement with Samsung SDI aims to fast-track...

Columbia Engineers have developed a new, more powerful “fuel” for batteries—an electrolyte that is not only longer-lasting but also cheaper to produce. Renewable energy sources like wind and solar are essential for the future of our planet, but they face a major hurdle: they don’t consistently generate power when demand is high. To fully harness their potential, we need cost-effective and efficient energy storage solutions to ensure power availability when the wind is still or the sun isn’t shining. Columbia Engineering material scientists have been focused on developing new kinds of batteries to transform how we store renewable energy. In...

OSAKA -- China is increasing its presence in the race to develop replacements for the lithium-ion battery, a Nikkei analysis shows. A country-by-country tally of patents related to post-lithium-ion batteries over the past 10 years shows China in the lead, accounting for more than half of all patents. The evaluation of patents for sodium-ion batteries, perhaps the biggest horse in the race, also shows China dominating Japan and the U.S., with Chinese companies expected to begin mass production of these batteries this year. Japan and the U.S. are also rushing to develop inexpensive alternatives to resource-constrained batteries for their decarbonization...

Advanced Battery Technology Breakthrough A team of engineers has made a significant advancement toward the development of fast-charging lithium-metal batteries, according to a recent paper published in Nature Energy. These batteries are capable of charging in as little as an hour, thanks to the growth of uniform lithium metal crystals that can be rapidly seeded on a surprising surface. This innovative technology holds great promise for the future of energy storage. In a new Nature Energy paper, engineers report progress toward lithium-metal batteries that charge fast – as fast as an hour. This fast charging is thanks to lithium metal...

Two years ago, sodium-ion battery pioneer Natron Energy was busy preparing its specially formulated sodium batteries for mass production. The company slipped a little past its 2023 kickoff plans, but it didn't fall too far behind as far as mass battery production goes. It officially commenced production of its rapid-charging, long-life lithium-free sodium batteries this week, bringing to market an intriguing new alternative in the energy storage game. Not only is sodium somewhere between 500 to 1,000 times more abundant than lithium on the planet we call Earth, sourcing it doesn't necessitate the same type of earth-scarring extraction. Even moving...

If EVs were really an innovation, the state wouldn’t have to bribe and force companies to produce them. The left likes to treat skeptics of electrical cars as if they were Luddites. Truth is, making an existing product less efficient but more expensive doesn’t really meet the definition of innovation. Even the purported amenities and technological advances EV-makers like to brag about in their ads have been a regular feature of gas-powered vehicles going back generations. At best, EVs, if they fulfill their promise, are a lateral technology. Which is why there is no real “emerging market” for EVs in...

The first battery-grade lithium hydroxide refining facility in North America is now operational in Texas. In May 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott, Tesla founder Elon Musk and other officials broke ground at what would become Tesla North America’s new lithium refinery in Robstown. By January 2026, it was fully operational. The facility is the first of its kind to ever be built in North America, The Center Square reported. The facility is part of Abbott’s goal for Texas to lead in reducing reliance on China for critical minerals and technology. Under Abbott, Texas is leading in semiconductor manufacturing and development, state-led...

The electric vehicle industry has taken a pummeling this year. The Trump administration, as expected, reversed a whole suite of federal policies that promoted or encouraged EVs. California's ability to require the sale of EVs: gone. Federal rules about emissions and fuel economy — being rewritten. Federal penalties for car companies that sell too many gas guzzlers: zeroed out. The $7,500 federal tax credit? Kaput. Meanwhile, automakers delayed or canceled a host of unprofitable EV plans. The all-electric Ram 1500 REV was canceled before a single one was built. The all-electric Ford Lightning was discontinued despite some glowing reviews. (Both...

As discussed here many, many times, the big problem with generating electricity from wind and solar sources is that they are intermittent. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t. And sometimes they don’t work for days on end. The times when both wind and sun fail at the same time for multiple days tend to be concentrated in the very coldest days of the winter. This poses a huge problem for central planners’ dreams of “net zero” electricity. Try to solve the problem with grid-scale batteries, and suddenly you’re talking wildly unaffordable costs in the trillions of dollars. Not to...

THE approaching net zero ban on petrol and diesel vehicles could put Europe’s car firms at disadvantage compared with China. Speaking to the Financial Times ahead of the annual IAA Mobility conference in Munich, Oliver Zipse, BMW’s chief executive, warned that European electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers could not compete with China over prices. European Union plans to eliminate combustion engine vehicles are not welcomed by the car industry, which provides direct and indirect work for almost 14 million people. Misgivings extend from inconsistent access to the raw materials necessary for making car batteries to concerns that charging infrastructure was still...

JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. — Battery company SK Battery America Inc. laid off nearly 1,000 workers at a manufacturing plant northeast of Atlanta on Friday amid automakers’ changing electrification plans and uncertain consumer demand for EVs. The company said Friday marked the last working day for 958 plant employees, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, notice filed by human resources chief Chuck Moore. Impacted workers will be paid through May 6. SK opened the $2.6 billion battery plant in Commerce, Georgia, in January 2022. It notably supplied the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. Ford announced plans...

Donut Lab commissioned VTT to validate its bold solid-state claims, and the results show near-full capacity retention even after ultra-fast charging... Rapid charging under test VTT Technical Research Centre ran the tests in what engineers described as a worst-case scenario. The lab did not use active temperature controls. It also let the cell’s heat rise freely at high charging rates. Experts measured performance using C-rates, where 1C equals a one-hour charge from empty to full. Under that scale, 5C roughly equals a 12-minute charge, and 11C is about a five- to six-minute charge. The process began with a standard discharge...