An employee shows a battery at the Automotive Cells Company (ACC) Gigafactory, which produces … [+]
Lithium-ion batteries are a linchpin of the clean energy transition. They power electric vehicles and allow us to harness wind and solar power even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. They are also used widely in electronics most of us use daily, from smart phones to earbuds. Demand is anticipated to grow exponentially over the next decade.
Unfortunately, lithium-ion batteries themselves aren’t so clean. Even aside from much-discussed environmental issues with lithium and cobalt mining, these batteries are manufactured with harmful chemicals that end up in our environment, homes, and bodies.
One of the most…
