4 ms·
Cobalt, however, which is used in common lithium battery chemistries, is mostly sourced from the DRC (Congo), much of it under terrible conditions: forced labou
by adriand 2y ago
Cobalt, however, which is used in common lithium battery chemistries, is mostly sourced from the DRC (Congo), much of it under terrible conditions: forced labour, child labour, and rampant environmental degradation. The book Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives [1] is a real eye-opener if you haven’t read it. Fascinating and deeply disturbing.
1: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784614-cobalt-red https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784614-cobalt-red
- ggreer 2y agoSince 2022, the majority of EVs manufactured have no cobalt in their batteries. Most manufacturers use lithium iron phosphate chemistry (LFP), which is cheaper and safer than NMC or NCA. The cobalt-based chemistries are only used in higher performance vehicles, where LFP's lower energy density becomes a problem.
- seltzered_ 2y agoNot yet. At least in the US the only LFP EVs available right now (Spring 2024) are certain models of the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the standard range Tesla Model 3. This may change over the coming months.
- ggreer 2y agoI'm talking about fraction of vehicles, not fraction of different models available.
- tooltalk 2y ago>> Since 2022, the majority of EVs manufactured have no cobalt in their batteries. << This is not true at all. Most EV OEMs don't use LFP: even in China, LFP's market share just passed 50% in 2022. Outside China, it's overwhelmingly NCM/A. LFP is a low-end battery most suitable for small/compact EVs with "urban" range.
- ggreer 2y agoTesla’s LFP Model 3 is rated for 272 miles of range. People go on road trips with them all the time.