This Article suggests Musk might be interested14 Dec 2024 20:59
This article suggests Musk may well be interested. Do not rule out a Chinese bid.
Monday will not be the sell-off many want. Rock is far too valuable.
ScienceEnergy
Elon Musk Wants to Mine Lithium for EV Batteries, But He Should Dig For This Metal Instead
Lithium costs are soaring. A semiconductor used in LED light bulbs could be the solution.
By Caroline DelbertPublished: May 11, 2022 1:59 PM EDT
bookmarksSave Article
elon musk making a weird face
Theo Wargo//Getty Images
Global lithium supplies may be dwindling, but we can still cut energy costs by using less lithium and opting for another material instead.
Electric vehicle systems usually use silicon semiconductors, but they’re not the only option.
Gallium nitride, for instance, offers higher energy density and saves on weight.
Rumors about Tesla entering the lithium-mining business started buzzing around in April after the company hired an exploration geologist from Rio Tinto, the world’s second-largest metals and mining corporation. CEO Elon Musk pretty much confirmed as much in an April 8 tweet:
“Price of lithium has gone to insane levels! Tesla might actually have to get into the mining & refining directly at scale, unless costs improve. There is no shortage of the element itself, as lithium is almost everywhere on Earth, but pace of extraction/refinement is slow,” Musk says.
🔋 You love energy stories. So do we. Let’s nerd out over the latest advances together—join Pop Mech Pro.
He has a point: lithium metal costs are soaring. According to a December 2021 S&P Global Commodities Insight report, seaborne lithium carbonate prices climbed 413 percent between January and December 2021; lithium hydroxide prices rose 254 percent over the same period. S&P Global says those costs are expected to continue soaring through 2022, leaving open questions about how to create EV batteries with renewable materials in a cost-effective manner.
Enter Fullscreen
Watch: Ho Ho Ho-liday Lights: Tips Before You Buy
The secret, it turns out, may lie in a totally different material, allowing us to use less lithium. Let us introduce you to gallium nitride (GaN), a chemical compound that has been commonly used as a semiconductor in light-emitting diodes since the 1990s.
First Off, How Do Lithium-Ion Batteries Work?
In general, batteries have an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. Current flows out through the anode, circulates, and then devices connected to the battery use that current before it flows back in through the cathode. From there, charged ions are pulled through the electrolyte material in order to circulate again.