What is it about battery technology that seems to attract the nutty companies? This is a collaboration between an academic research department and a mining con

What is it about battery technology that seems to attract the nutty companies? This is a collaboration between an academic research department and a mining conglomerate, with the CTO being the guy who developed the nickel cobalt aluminum cathode for the lithium batteries they use in the Tesla and the Prius. I wouldn't call it nutty.