The Lithium Economy

The need to reduce carbon emissions and find a replacement for oil has people looking to hydrogen fuel cells to power factories and vehicles. But finding ways to store volatile hydrogen safely and bring down the costs of fuel-cell ingredients, which currently include the fantastically expensive element platinum, has proved difficult.

While the quest for the affordable fuel cell continues, many environment-conscious consumers have been turning to hybrid cars to reduce emissions. At the heart of the hybrid is a technology that may be less sexy than fuel cells, but, according to MIT’s Donald Sadoway, could be key to a fossil-fuel-free tomorrow — the rechargeable battery.

“Let’s keep the research going. Let’s use the phrase that they used in the early days of nuclear power — “I want this stuff too cheap to meter.” I want these batteries so cheap you can give them away. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve got to work at it.”

Technology Review