Lithium News

As lithium-ion battery manufacturing continues to grow exponentially, the potential problems with sourcing the materials needed for the batteries, including lithium itself, become more prominent. And while recycling will likely lessen the impact, batteries made from more abundant materials could be both cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Replacing lithium with sodium is an option favored by many in the research community. And while tentative attempts at commercializing this technology are underway, sodium batteries tend to degrade and lose their capacity even faster than lithium technologies. Since degradation and performance loss is already a problem in lithium-ion technology, switching to a chemistry known to degrade even faster could prove to be a hard sell.

In a new paper published in the journal Chemistry of Materials, scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) calculate that much of the degradation in sodium manganese oxide, a common cathode material, is caused by the presence of hydrogen in the materials. They also theorize that similar mechanisms could negatively affect the performance of lithium-ion batteries, though more research is needed to prove this.

As the most abundant element in the known universe, hydrogen can get into the materials at many stages of fabrication, and its effects on various materials used in renewable are an important area of research. The calculations from UCSB show that the presence of hydrogen in the manganese oxide layer reduces the amount of energy needed for manganese atoms to break loose and dissolve.

“Because hydrogen atoms are so small and reactive, hydrogen is a common contaminant in materials. explained Chris Van de Walle, a computational materials scientist at UC Santa Barbara. “Now that its detrimental impact has been flagged, measures can be taken during fabrication and encapsulation of the batteries to suppress incorporation of hydrogen, which should lead to better performance.”

Federal officials are holding a series of free workshops around the country to teach e-scrap companies and others how to safely handle lithium-ion batteries.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. EPA are holding the workshops in Atlanta; Lenexa, Kan. (near Kansas City); Chicago; and Fremont, Calif. (in the San Francisco Bay Area). The first two start later this month.

At the three-hour workshops, which are aimed at a waste and recycling industry audience, experts will discuss how to prevent, reduce or eliminate risks of fire or explosions from improper packaging, marking, labeling or recycling of lithium-ion batteries. The events are designed for professionals who need a working knowledge of federal regulations or who train employees on regulations.

Lithium-ion batteries have received greater attention in recent years for the dangers they can pose in e-scrap facilities and other types of recycling operations. Last fall, the EPA hosted a discussion on the ongoing lithium-ion battery challenge, during which processors offered some tips to avoid facility accidents.

It seems to be a monthly occurrence now — Tesla changes prices, people freak out, some media outlets write about it, and then everyone assumes nothing will change again for years (or something like that).

I don’t get it. Well, I get it — people don’t like to see a notable price drop on a product they just bought, since they then feel like they were idiots for buying too soon or were simply ripped off. But I also don’t get it. How is it truly controversial that a company is adjusting its prices to respond to the market and to respond to internal manufacturing changes? Isn’t that what companies are expected to do?

Aside from people simply feeling shitty that they paid more than they would have if they had waited an extra week or three, I think there are two main causes of the controversy.

First of all, people pay a lot of freakin’ attention to Tesla. Tesla is so closely watched that every minor change garners headlines. This leads to some things getting blown out of proportion — like price changes. Generally speaking, if you go searching for a consumer product and then make your decision and buy a specific option, you don’t continue to track that product and see if the price drops a week or two after your purchase. However, because so many people follow Tesla for various broader reasons, and because the media (CleanTechnica included) obsessively covers almost every move the company makes, buyers notice Tesla price changes after — as well as before — they make their purchases. That leads to some consumers getting upset when they get unlucky with their timing.

Secondly, people don’t seem to acknowledge that Tesla is an auto dealer as well as an auto manufacturer. Okay, “auto dealer” may leave a bad taste in your mouth and may not be the best term for Tesla’s sales arm, but it’s an important phrase to use for this story. Normal auto dealers are changing prices all the time in order to attract customers and convince waffling potential buyers to finally make a decision and purchase their cars. Normal automakers don’t have to worry about this since they don’t sell directly to customers. They put an MSRP for a new model on their webpage and that’s that. (Well, as implied above, they may well change their MSRPs a bit from time to time, but no one really cares enough to notice or get all excited or worked up about it.) Perhaps automakers frequently adjust prices for the auto dealers who buy their goods — I don’t know — but it shouldn’t really be necessary since dealers are essentially just middle men and don’t need to be stimulated to buy.

Since Tesla is selling directly to customers, it needs to fiddle with prices a bit to motivate the large variety of consumers out there to jump in and finally click “Place Order” on a new Tesla. Some will be motived by a price cut here, some by a price cut there, some by no extra charge on black, some by no extra charge on white, some by Tesla rolling basic Autopilot features into the car, some by Tesla rolling Ludicrous Mode into the Model 3 Performance. Tesla has to constantly play the game of grabbing consumer attention and tickling consumers out of complacency/inertia in order to close the deal. So, yes, just as you expect auto dealers to constantly be announcing new deals, expect Tesla’s prices and option mixes to change frequently. This is not really controversial. I mean, it shouldn’t be.

Furthermore, Tesla is growing super fast and evolving at an abnormal pace. As its economies of scale grow, as it changes manufacturing and development practices, as service center feedback comes in, Tesla is going to see changes it wants to make to its product offerings. The company will find ways to cut costs as well as specific features or options it wants to sell in higher numbers. Again, because consumers are buying products directly from Tesla, they will see the results of these ongoing feedback loops and product adjustments. We shouldn’t be surprised.

All of that said, I assume we won’t even be in the 4th quarter of 2019 before another pricing “controversy” arises. At least then I’ll have an article published explaining why it’s not really a big deal and shouldn’t be covered as a surprising and noteworthy story.

Toyota’s first dedicated vehicle for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo isn’t a flying car, but it shows promise. The automaker today unveiled the APM (Accessible People Mover), an all-electric vehicle it designed especially for next summer’s event. The open-air, three-row vehicle can reach speeds of up to 12 mph and accommodate up to five passengers. Each car is powered by lithium-ion batteries and can run 100 kilometers on a single charge. A fleet of 200 APMs will be used to transport people to different competitions and the Olympic Village.

Unsurprisingly, Toyota’s APM isn’t meant for the masses. The open-air vehicles resemble large golf carts, rather than futuristic vessels of public transportation. There’s a good reason why. Toyota intends it to be a “last mile” solution for staff and athletes, as well as visitors with accessibility needs — such as the disabled, pregnant women, the elderly or families with small children. Each APM can accommodate a wheelchair or a stretcher, and includes an access ramp.

This transportation solution will no doubt be vital for disabled athletes and guests. The Olympics and Paralympics haven’t had the best track record with accessibility. Disabled visitors at the 2018 Paralympic Games in South Korea encountered numerous challenges in rural areas. Tokyo, as one of the world’s most developed cities, could pose its own set of problems. Unlike previous Olympic games, where tickets have gone unsold, there’s been record-breaking demand for the Tokyo games, so crowds will be considerable. The last time Japan’s capital city hosted the worldwide event was in 1964, so expectations for its return are sky-high.

Toyota is expected to reveal even more innovations ahead of the event, including a flying car that will light up the Olympic torch and robots that can bring food and drinks to guests. The automaker is even planning on building robots that can assist guests in wheelchairs. With any luck, the 2020 Olympic Games will be a demonstration of technology’s real-life impacts — and not just futuristic whimsy.

Honda might have delighted the European market with details of its cute and compact electric Honda E, but that’s no use to American drivers — the Honda E isn’t destined for US soil and even if it was, its top range of 125 miles is pretty useless for such a vast country. But the company is reportedly working on something new and exclusive for the States: a modular EV platform that puts affordability, performance and — crucially — a long cruising range at the top of the agenda.

According to Automotive News, the as-yet unnamed platform was announced at a briefing in Japan last week, and Honda hopes to have it ready by 2025, in line with its other global EV targets. Unlike the E, the US-bound design comprises a modular platform that can accommodate a wide range of body shapes and sizes as well as different batteries and motors.

“This new architecture is designed to achieve smooth driving and highly efficient packaging. We believe it will meet the needs of customers who like our C-segment and D-segment models,” said Ayumu Matsuo, operating officer for Honda R&D America. Tetsuya Hasebe, the chief engineer for Honda’s EV program, added that “It has a different aim from the Honda E. This one aims for intercity, long-distance travel.”

The announcement firmly positions Honda in the global EV race. With a range of vehicles in all markets — and, critically, affordability at the forefront — Honda is well placed to take on rivals both at home and abroad. Indeed, the company hopes this new modular platform will eventually account for 15 percent of its global market share by 2030 — and that’s not taking into account its existing hybrids and EVS, and, of course, the much-hyped E.