The transportation sector in the US is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. It includes cars, trucks and planes as well as shipping. We must stop burning fossil fuels in cars if we are to address climate change. One problem with electric cars is that they rely on lithium-ion battery made with heavy metals such as cobalt. The material is not only in short supply but it is also mined in child labor and in ways that are harmful to the environment. Companies like Tesla, Panasonic, and IBM have attempted to create electric batteries that are free from heavy metals.
Although many of these efforts have not yet made it to the lab, a Chinese company called SVOLT claims that they are ready to begin producing a scaled-up cobalt-free batteries. The 82.5KWh power pack was displayed in a vehicle belonging to Great Wall Motors, which was on display at the Chengdu Motor Show. SVOLT claims that its battery can provide 373 miles of range at normal temperatures and accelerate a car from 0 to 60 mph in just five seconds.
SVOLT stated that the battery will be available in cars for sale in China, but did not give a time frame or details about how many cobalt-free power pack it could produce at this point. Other companies are also making cobalt-free battery at large scale. Electrek notes that most Model 3 units sold in China by Tesla feature a lithium iron phosphate (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery manufactured by Contemporary Amperex Technology.
