according to Elon Musk Tesla believes that a new material can improve its battery chemistry the CEO
highlighted the need for the sector to pay closer attention to the entire battery supply chain right
down to the minerals musk was questioned about graphene-based batteries during a speech to
Tesla Giga Refinery located in the greater Corpus Christi area of Texas musk admitted his skepticism
sharing it with many others in the industry due to the difficulty of producing graphene however
he added that Tesla was working on developing batteries using alternative materials what could
be this material let's find out in today's episode hello everyone welcome back to Elon
Musk Evolution where we bring you the most recent news about Elon Musk and his multi-billion dollar
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what if salt was a fuel source for your Tesla sodium was used 50 years ago to build the battery
of the future the explanation is related to the saltiness of the oceans one of its electrons is
readily lost when sodium ionizes making it a Light Element these ions move back and forth
between two plates in a battery that are charged in opposition to one another producing a current
this seemed like a promising approach to power a house or an automobile as sodiums above neighbor
on the periodic table lithium then showed up and disrupted the party in order to power
its handheld video cameras Sony developed the first rechargeable lithium-ion battery in 1991.
this battery was Compact and portable battery manufacturing centered on lithium since it was
lighter and simpler to work with than sodium to fit more energy into a smaller space businesses
and research facilities competed the future of sodium disappeared so it came as a surprise when
catl one of the biggest battery manufacturer in the world and a supplier of batteries to
Tesla revealed that sodium would play a part in the electrified future like its Rivals catl is a
corporation entirely focused on the lithium Market however it will start integrating sodium cells
alongside lithium ones into the battery packs that drive electric vehicles starting in 2023
what is the reason one catl executive brought up the fact that sodium is less expensive than
lithium and performs better in cold climates but it was also a form of insurance against a problem
that was hard to imagine in 1991 the world will run out of raw materials for Batteries by the
end of this decade including lithium as well as metals like nickel and Cobalt now that widespread
electrification is actually taking place it's time to consider diversifying according to a
catl representative the company began considering sodium 10 years ago the catl announcement really
injected new energy into the people who work on sodium according to Shirley Meng a battery
chemist at the University of California San Diego who works extensively with both elements
mang began working with sodium when she was a young Professor partly because she was seeking
for a suitably bizarre Niche to distinguish audim however also because she thought it had potential
the fact that lithium was so successful according to her was the largest obstacle to sodium success
lithium is not very rare however deposits are concentrated in locations that are difficult
to mine therefore businesses like catl fight for a share of the supply from a few mines
most of which are found in Australia and the Andes the U.S is concerned about the security
of the supply networks while reserves in North America are involved in environmental battles
Elon Musk has cited nickel as the biggest concern for the future of EV batteries due to pricing and
supply issues and Cobalt of which 70 percent is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
are facing even more intense competition there will probably be enough lithium when more mines
begin operations to power all the vehicles in the globe according to mang however that doesn't take
into consideration all the non-automotive items that are on the verge of electrification most
notably the batteries that will control the load in microgrids and maintain our lights at night
when the rooftop solar panels are dark when Ming began her research on sodium she had these kinds
of uses in mind according to her I was thinking everyone would have a refrigerator for electrons
in your home just like you have a refrigerator for food I believe that is the true goal for
grid storage she says a typical element that is typically extracted from soda ash sodium may be
discovered almost anywhere including in seawater and peat from Boggs likewise it fits the kinds of
applications mang is describing very well because the ions are a little heavier and larger than
those of lithium less energy can be stored in a restricted area like the car's trunk the grid
is one area where sodium batteries can and have a significant influence according to Lancaster
University professor and director of the Faraday institutions sodium battery effort Nuria Tapia
Ruiz those batteries don't need to be particularly large or heavy they just need to be steadfast
according to Tapia Ruiz chemical stability has always been a barrier for sodium batteries
despite being Neighbors on a periodic table sodium and lithium behave differently when
interacting with diverse substances and elements because they live in different chemical universes
because ions are captured and released by the battery's cathode and anode the positive and
negative electrodes that release ions as the battery is charged and discharged respectively
moving the sodium necessitates the development of innovative materials for these electrodes
one particular issue is that the electrolyte between the electrodes May deteriorate due to
chemical reactions occurring inside the battery shortening its lifespan or posing a possibility
that sodium metal which can be explosive would form another issue is the common presence of
nickel in many lithium and sodium batteries which both have high energy density although
tough researchers top priority is getting rid of the metal however Tapia Ruiz argues that
this is the proper course of action if you want to develop a technology that is really green and
sustainable however the small number of research facilities and startup businesses that are still
using sodium have quietly advanced in recent years the primary use of sodium batteries made by the
california-based startup Natron is as backup power sources for commercial buildings and data centers
the business bases their electrodes on a substance known as Prussian Blue a variant of the historic
synthetic pigment used in well-known artworks like under the Great Wave off Kanagawa even by sodium
standards the battery's interior architecture is not particularly energy dense however Jack Boucher
the company's Vice President of Sales noted one benefit our supply chain could be local the
factory is located in Santa Clara California and the Product comprises Common components
like sodium manganese and iron the battery can quickly charge and discharge energy to make up
for its lack of energy storage overpowering Force when the power grid is overloaded the business
thinks that their batteries may be utilized to swiftly charge electric vehicles according
to Boucher Natron is continuing with its plans to install these gadgets throughout San Diego
the business also emphasizes safety pushe cites accidents involving grid battery storage
operations such as a significant fire at a battery plant in Australia and overheating at another
installation in California as raising doubts about the wisdom of installing batteries in every home
notwithstanding how infrequent these fires may be he States I wouldn't want that in my garage videos
of the battery packs being crushed heated and shot with a gun are displayed on the company's website
in demonstrations that appear to go smoothly however generally speaking Ming claims that
the safety of sodium batteries is not perfect and that it varies depending on the particular battery
design it all comes down to choosing the proper cathode and electrolyte and reducing fire hazards
is more challenging for batteries that are more energy dense like those used in vehicles or for
batteries that are intended to disperse energy over a longer period of time like grid storage
batteries in addition to providing a better energy density with a nickel-free cathode catl
claims that its designs for sodium are safe the battery is equivalent to lithium iron phosphate
or lfp batteries which are becoming more and more common in mid-range Vehicles according to
the manufacturer by coupling the sodium batteries with lithium-based cells catl likewise makes up
for the reduced energy density in order to accommodate sodium alongside lithium in its
extensive and intricate supply chain the business has stated that its objective is to make the two
elements essentially interchangeable during the production process as well this is important
because it will be necessary to scale up sodium battery production before any cost comparisons
between sodium and lithium designs can be made big manufacturers like catl play a role in that sodium
batteries will reportedly cost 40 percent less to produce than lfp batteries according to Wood
McKenzie a consultant that specializes in natural resources this reduction will only occur if sodium
production is ramped up however because sodium is far cheaper than lfp batteries raw ingredients
lithium is anticipated to continue to dominate for years to come according to the company Meng
notes that Innovations like sodium and other lithium substitutes like zinc and Vanadium
offer a chance for Nations like the US which has a robust battery industry to establish one
a project to develop manufacturing methods for solid-state sodium batteries a new generation of
technology that would be significantly safer and more energy dense than the batteries we currently
use was just initiated by Ming and other UC San Diego academics it's a long way off sodium-based
batteries have received much less funding and attention and academics and companies are still
having trouble making solid-state lithium batteries commercially viable she continues
by saying that it is worthwhile to continue working with the underdog and to make plans for
the future there are still a ton of fascinating discoveries to be made she claims the first ever
sodium ion battery-powered electric vehicle has been unveiled by China Chinese automaker Jack Auto
with the potential to be substantially cheaper than gasoline diesel or compressed natural gas
vehicles electric vehicles could become a more attractive option because sodium ion batteries
can be produced using less expensive raw materials both the battery and the electric car itself are
less expensive aside from that they provide an alternate to current Technologies like the
pricey and scarce lithium-ion battery by using sodium ion batteries Cobalt and other scarce and
pricey component used in batteries can also be avoided the sodium ion battery used in Jack's
electric vehicle was created by a beijing-based firm called heena battery technologies the battery
provides Superior Cycle Performance greater safety and better cost performance its density is lower
than that of Lithium-ion batteries but it has benefits including low temperature performance
and quick charging the 25 kilowatt hour battery in the electric car allows it to travel up to
250 kilometers on a single charge the industry for electric vehicles could undergo a revolution
thanks to the introduction of sodium ion batteries according to Hina a rise in lithium carbonate
costs last year put a lot of battery producers and downstream consumers under constant cost pressure
EV manufacturers now have a less expensive option using sodium ion batteries that offers comparable
performance and safety standards the sodium ion battery has the potential to lower the price of
electric vehicles by at least 10 percent giving consumers another option that is more reasonable
another example is the seagull hatchback which was introduced by byd the market leader in China for
electric vehicles and which the business has not confirmed but one model of which
may be powered by a sodium ion battery other upcoming byd models will probably utilize the
new chemistry even if the seagull doesn't the car business typically adopts new technologies from
the upper end where consumers can afford the newest technology battery advancements where
cost reduction is the main objective are taking numerous forms in the past the nickel and Cobalt
Rich batteries that power the majority of EVS outside of China today weren't seen as a viable
option in the less expensive but less potent lithium-ion phosphate or lfp batteries then as
automakers were setting up their EV Supply chains for expansion nickel and Cobalt costs skyrocketed
requiring them to find workarounds Tesla announced that it would Implement lfp for a few of its lower
range cars in 2021. since then Ford Volkswagen and other companies have followed the same path
the pattern might be followed by sodium ion technology iron was replaced by Abundant nickel
and Cobalt however the scarce element lithium was increased lithium costs last year remained
High even as nickel and Cobalt prices declined the plentiful sodium ion then takes the place of The
Limited lithium Benchmark mineral intelligence a data supplier claims that the cost of battery
grade lithium carbonate in China has decreased by 60 percent this year the most obvious cause
is the decrease in EV sales in the nation as a result of the end of subsidies but another
potential Factor could be the rise in sodium ions compared to the most recent lithium batteries the
new technology is less potent customers might not care though as it is compatible
with the earlier types of lithium batteries seen in EVS today it also has the advantages
of being more effective in sub-freezing temperatures and having a lower fire risk
sodium ion will very probably play a place in the quickly expanding battery Market especially for
uses where energy density is less of a factor like grid storage and small City EVS how broad
it will be is the question the cost of lithium is a factor as well in addition to technology
a portion of the momentum in the search for Alternatives may be lost due to its recent
price reduction investors may need to further temper their expectations for leading lithium
producers like Albemarle and sqm if evidence of sodium ions mainstream adoption grows just like
it did for lfp they are nevertheless supported by the belief that lithium-based batteries would
be crucial to the energy Revolution despite the fact that their share prices have dropped
recently and now appear cheap at eight and seven times anticipated profits respectively
the future of batteries is now beginning to resemble a conflict between several chemistries
with the mix being both driven by and driven by pricing of the underlying Commodities electric
vehicles are a rapidly evolving technology in many respects so investors must work hard to
keep up meanwhile for the model 3 tax credits to be formally maximized Tesla changes the battery
supply chain Elon Musk tweeted over the weekend about a section of the Tesla website that claimed
all U.S sold Teslas qualified for the generous 7 500 tax credit cap however the IRS list directly
refuted this assertion customers who purchased a model 3 rwd after April 18 have only been eligible
for 50 percent of the subsidy which represents the sum allotted for its assembly in North America
the other 50 would come from the few nations with which the U.S has free trade agreements with the
assumption that half of the battery's components are made in the U.S and that at least 40 percent
of the crucial minerals used to make the battery cells for the model 3's basic battery come from
those Nations these include Israel Jordan Korea Australia Bahrain Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica
Dominican Republic El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Israel Jordan Mexico Morocco Nicaragua Oman Panama
Peru and Singapore the Biden Administration also negotiated a restricted free trade agreement
with Japan that only covers the extraction and processing of essential minerals After Japan
objected to the US government's protectionist new EV tax incentives which it claimed would
disadvantage Japanese automakers the standards for battery components are meant to get around
China which produces the majority of electric vehicle batteries or supplies essential minerals
but the largest battery manufacturer in China catl is the one who supplies the lfp batteries
for the model 3 rwd thus up until this point it was not qualified for the full tax credit amount
but Tesla was able to influence catl over the procurement of important minerals away from China
and it made sure that enough of the base model 3's lfp battery packs were assembled in North America
to address this this has just been made official by the irs's new list of individuals eligible for
the 7 500 EB tax credit which lists all model 3 variants as eligible Tesla has approached
the White House about constructing a combined lfp battery Factory with catl in Texas as the
U.S government is set to increase the percentage eligibility for battery raw materials next year
the base model 3 pricing is now comparable to what popular gas-powered competitors cost
there when combined with equivalent new EV purchase incentives in various jurisdictions
like California or Colorado ushering in a new era of EV affordability as long as the tax
credit program is in effect Tesla is anticipated to reap a staggering 41 billion dollar windfall as
a result all owing to the government's Goodwill according to the Panasonic representative the
Japanese corporation intends to increase battery manufacturing at a factory in Nevada that is
jointly owned by Tesla by 10 percent over the next three years the remarks are in response to anike
Asia report on Monday that indicated Panasonic Energy's gigafactory Nevada facility would add
a 15th production line at a corporate strategy meeting last week Panasonic energy revealed its
intention to boost the Nevada Factory's output by 10 percent by March 2026. according to a Panasonic
group representative who declined to provide any other details requests for a response from Tesla
were not answered in a recent statement Panasonic stated that by 2030 it intended to construct at
least two additional factories in North America for the manufacture of Tesla 4680 battery cells
by March 2031 it hopes to increase the capacity of its vehicle batteries by 200 gigawatt hours
annually which would be approximately four times what it was at the end of this March Panasonic
did not specify at the time where in North America it will increase production capacity according to
a Panasonic executive Tesla reportedly assured the Japanese manufacturer that it will buy as
much Panasonic can make the 4680 battery cells which musk has hailed as essential to generating
more affordable and enticing electric cars are already being produced by Tesla and Panasonic
is operating a prototype 4680 production line at its wakayama Factory in Japan in Japan in