Free Republic

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...

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...

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...

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...

Schematic diagram of the first room temperature all-solid-state hydride ion battery. Credit: DICP ============================================================ Scientists have built the first rechargeable hydride ion battery. Hydride ions (H⁻) have drawn interest as potential charge carriers for future electrochemical devices because of their extremely low mass and high redox potential. Yet, progress has been limited since no electrolyte has been able to provide the combination of rapid ion movement, thermal stability, and compatibility with electrodes that such systems require. A recent study in Nature reports a breakthrough from Prof. Ping Chen and his team at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), part...

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...

When a group of engineers and researchers gathered in a warehouse in Mukilteo, Wash., 10 years ago, they knew they were onto something big. They scrounged up tables and chairs, cleared out space in the parking lot for experiments and got to work. They were building a battery — a vanadium redox flow battery — based on a design created by two dozen U.S. scientists at a government lab. The batteries were about the size of a refrigerator, held enough energy to power a house, and could be used for decades. The engineers pictured people plunking them down next to...

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...

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...

What if the future of energy storage wasn’t just an incremental improvement but a complete reimagining? Solid-state batteries, long considered the holy grail of energy technology, could be the key to unlocking safer, faster, and more sustainable power solutions. In this guide, Ziroth explores how Donut Lab’s bold claim of creating the world’s first solid-state battery could transform industries like electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy. But with skepticism swirling around untested prototypes and ambitious performance metrics, the question remains: is this breakthrough the real deal or just another overhyped promise? This investigation dives into the fascinating claims surrounding Donut...

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...

“I drive about 30, 40 miles a day, so I’m looking at $92, almost $100 in gas prices,” Mr. Harvey said. “So I’m like, maybe I should trade in my car and get something electric for the time being.” several brands have reported an uptick in electric vehicle sales in the opening months of 2026. Tesla has reported a modest year-over-year increase in sales, and Hyundai and General Motors’ Cadillac division have also seen electric car sales increase. You didn’t have to go far from the auto show on Saturday to see why drivers are showing a renewed interest in...

Stellantis on Friday announced it will take a $26.5 billion charge as the automaker cuts back on electric vehicle (EV) production, joining other manufacturers in taking a financial hit after misjudging consumer demand for EVs. Stellantis – the parent company of brands including Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram – became the latest automaker to take a charge. The $26.5 billion charge is larger than those taken by Ford and General Motors in the wake of the end of federal EV subsidies. The automaker had set ambitious EV goals under its former CEO, Carlos Tavares, who aimed for EVs to make...

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada announced on Thursday a sweeping plan to offer billions of dollars in incentives and tax breaks for auto industry investment designed to help turn Canada into a global leader in electric vehicles.The new policies, Mr. Carney said, were meant to transform Canada’s economy and make it less reliant on a single trade partner after President Trump’s economic assaults and threats on Canada’s sovereignty have frayed relations between the two nations.“We must take care of ourselves,’’ Mr. Carney told reporters at an auto parts factory in Ontario. “We cannot control what others do.’’Mr. Trump has...