Who invented lithium ion batteries?

Panasonic was a commercial pioneer of LiB technology in portable electronics and an early entrant to the EV market: a 1996 agreement saw the company supply lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries to Toyota, including the company’s flagship Prius .

Is China a good supplier of cobalt for batteries?

“China is the primary global supplier of cobalt for batteries, despite having very limited reserves, through its aggressive investment in processing capacity coupled with foreign direct investment for ores and concentrates” [48, p. 94]. Geothermal brines are also explored for lithium extraction, e.g. Vulcan Energy, Umicore .

Are lithium batteries a 'holy grail'?

In 2015 lead batteries represented over 85% of total battery production [27,p. 2]. An alkali metal, lithium is a highly reactive element; it never occurs in pure form in nature, rendering the development of Li-metal ‘the holy grail’ of R&D for next-generation LiB, such as all solid-state batteries (ASSB).

What is a supply chain analysis of battery production?

Most analyses of battery production adopt a supply chain approach, focussing on the flow and transformation of materials from primary production via manufacturing to final assembly, see e.g. , , , rather than a network of strategic interactions among economic and non-economic actors.

How does decarbonisation impact lithium-ion battery technology?

Growing demand for energy storage linked to decarbonisation is driving innovation in lithium-ion battery (LiB) technology and, at the same time, transforming the organisation of established LiB production networks.

Which companies are sourcing lithium from Spodumene & cobalt?

Tesla, for example, has agreements with Piedmont Lithium for lithium from spodumene, with BHP for nickel sulphate , and with Glencore for cobalt from the DRC. Similarly, BMW has direct agreements with Glencore and with the Moroccan mining company Managem for cobalt, as well as sourcing for its cell suppliers CATL and Samsung SDI.