Jacky Wong of The Wall Street Journal reports on a potential breakthrough for EV technology.
- The U.S. is seeking to break China’s dominance in EV battery technology, but faces significant challenges due to China’s control over more than half the global market and nearly 90% of key battery material production.
- American companies and startups are exploring alternative battery technologies, such as silicon anodes (e.g., Group 14 backed by Microsoft) and solid-state batteries (e.g., QuantumScape and Solid Power), to gain a competitive edge.
- If breakthroughs happen the U.S. could soon control a larger share of the global battery market.
“One advantage of sodium over lithium is that it is far more abundant. When lithium prices went ballistic two years ago, sodium batteries looked like they also would provide a cheaper alternative. With lithium prices having fallen back to earth, sodium’s cost advantage might have disappeared. Nevertheless, sodium offers a potential choice to hedge against volatile lithium prices. However, sodium batteries have lower energy density and might not be suitable for longer-range EVs. They might be a better choice for energy storage systems or low-end EVs. That is especially important for China, where smaller EVs with lower ranges have been popular with consumers.”
Read the full article here.
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