No-Cobalt Batteries

There is a major issue with batteries regarding their use of Cobalt- a mineral that has suffered major price volatility and geo-political complications. To put it bluntly- the majority of cobalt is mined in Congo under inhumane conditions.

There are other problems with cobalt in batteries as well. Physical attributes allow for oxygen to be released at high voltages which can damage the lithium ion batteries.

EV and battery manufacturers are very motivated to find a solution and have done quite a lot of research.

Enter the wicked smart guy, a professor of physics and astronomy at UC Irvine, who found a way to make lithium-ion batteries without cobalt.

“Cobalt-free Cathode Could Lead to Safer, Longer-lasting Batteries for Electric Vehicles”

https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=120847

This isn’t new. Tesla already uses some cobalt-free batteries in their cars. Has been since at least 2021.

"Where Does Tesla Get its Lithium? (Updated 2023)"

https://investingnews.com/where-does-tesla-get-lithium/

So where does that leave us in the solar world with batteries. Well, there is truth to the inhumane conditions in the mines of Congo. The cobalt from those mines finds its way into many of the batteries- in our laptops and phones especially…

This is one of those really difficult situations where decisions become especially personal. To me, I find it hard to take someone who virtue signals about something while doing the thing they criticize (typing out condescending words about batteries on a laptop or phone with the same batteries in them…), but that’s just me.

I don’t like the Congo mining conditions and I find it nice to know that the EV and battery industries are taking steps to eliminate the need for the cobalt- but then I ask what happens to Congo when they lose the income from the cobalt? This is a hard one…

Anyways, if you are looking into rooftop solar that uses a battery so you can charge your EV, I’ve got a book coming out soon that aims to get you up to speed so that you are prepared to ask all the right questions when talking to a solar sales team.

Click here to get notified when I release Tucson Solar Insider Desk Guide for Buying Solar

Be Good!
Curtis