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I feel like Elon Musk is generally well-informed and thinks pretty far into the future. While I don't know the answer myself, I am inclined to think that Elon'

I feel like Elon Musk is generally well-informed and thinks pretty far into the future. While I don't know the answer myself, I am inclined to think that Elon's not just planning on running the company straight into a widely foreseeable dead-end. Seems unlikely, don't you think? Like, imagine this interview: Interviewer: What is your plan for when lithium reserves run out? Elon: Wait, what? There's a limited supply? Hold on, need to google this. Take 2: Interviewer: What is your plan for when lithium reserves run out? Elon: Oh, I'm sure we'll figure something out, cross that bridge when we get there. (Has he EVER given an answer like that, politician-style? No. Never.) Seems like a safe bet that this imagined problem has a solution which hasn't been shared with us because nobody's asked him.

ars 11y ago
> Elon: Oh, I'm sure we'll figure something out, cross that bridge when we get there. Why do you think this is wrong? He'll have many years to figure this out - this is a longterm problem, not a short term one. It's not like you can't do the math yourself on global extractable lithium supply, and how many cars you can make with it. I'm betting, not on new battery technology (any element except the big 10[0] would run into the same problem), but rather on a new engine that can burn very clean synthetic hydrocarbon fuel. But if I did have to do research on battery tech today it would be on an aluminum ion battery. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth's_crust https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium-ion_battery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium-ion_battery
- tamana 11y ago
  Of someone discovered a clean synthetic CHEAP hydrocarbon fuel, they could burn it and put it on the grid to feed electric cars.
  - ars 11y ago
    I know I said fuel, but it's not really a fuel. The synthetic hydrocarbon would be energy storage. The energy source would be something else - nuclear or solar thermal probably.
erikstarck 11y ago
Space mining?
- quicklyfrozen 11y ago
  Ah, that explains SpaceX.

ars 11y ago

> Elon: Oh, I'm sure we'll figure something out, cross that bridge when we get there. Why do you think this is wrong? He'll have many years to figure this out - this is a longterm problem, not a short term one. It's not like you can't do the math yourself on global extractable lithium supply, and how many cars you can make with it. I'm betting, not on new battery technology (any element except the big 10[0] would run into the same problem), but rather on a new engine that can burn very clean synthetic hydrocarbon fuel. But if I did have to do research on battery tech today it would be on an aluminum ion battery. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth's_crust https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium-ion_battery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium-ion_battery

tamana 11y ago
Of someone discovered a clean synthetic CHEAP hydrocarbon fuel, they could burn it and put it on the grid to feed electric cars.
- ars 11y ago
  I know I said fuel, but it's not really a fuel. The synthetic hydrocarbon would be energy storage. The energy source would be something else - nuclear or solar thermal probably.

erikstarck 11y ago

Space mining?

quicklyfrozen 11y ago
Ah, that explains SpaceX.