The West is still leading in key technologies. And China is slowly heading towards collapse due to the poor management of the totalitarian CCP. Although in the West, in essence, the authorities have practically degenerated into totalitarian regimes, but with remnants of civil institutions. And with the rapid loss of quality of human capital due to the crappy formulaic education in schools and increasingly in universities. It is more important who collapses faster - the West or China. China, with its huge aging population and growing social problems, has much less chance of staying afloat for 10-15 years...

Kind of ironic. Maybe the Chinese should stop sharing technologies with the US. Biden and Trump still believe the US is in front with tech.

Well, yes, while the Eloi drive their beautiful electric cars in clean, smog-free cities, in the countries where this lithium is mined, hard labor is used and there is severe environmental damage...

But there is only one planet for everyone and no one can escape responsibility. There is no Ellysium in space where the Eloi can escape when everything collapses.

Quote from: Kami on May 07, 2024, 08:52:42There's not enough Lithium in the world to make billions of EVs for the masses. So moving towards Sodium batteries is inevitable.

There is enough lithium in the world for over 1000 years of everyone having an EV, and that doesn't include recycling

The big issue for lithium is that there is few other uses for lithium other than batteries. This results in shortages as investors hesitate to build too many mines. Because what happens if lithium is replaced? With little other use for it, their investments would collapse.

Hence the short term shortages, not because there isn't enough. Despite it being called lithium ion batteries, there is little lithium in them. And lithium is more common than tin or lead

There's not enough Lithium in the world to make billions of EVs for the masses. So moving towards Sodium batteries is inevitable.

Speaking of Na ion chemistry, see recent announcement on multi-halogen solution that has increased energy density substantially while maintaining non-flammability advantage.

Sodium ion battery chemistry development is in its infancy.
Bit naive to expect it not to improve drastically its power density.
If (when) it does, price should be a huge advantage over every other chemistry...

Quote from: joh on May 06, 2024, 03:44:22no matter how low lithium price, sodium will always be cheaper and not being manipulated

Yes. But Lion (NCM) batteries provide almost twice the energy density of sodium batteries. Combine that with current low prices of Lithium and sodium batteries just cannot compete.

no matter how low lithium price, sodium will always be cheaper and not being manipulated