Currently, most lithium is extracted from hard rock mines or underground brine reservoirs, and much of the energy used to extract and process it comes from CO2-emitting fossil fuels. Producing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles is more material-intensive than producing traditional combustion engines, and the demand for battery materials is rising, explains Yang Shao-Horn, JR East Professor of Engineering in the MIT Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. However, that does come with a cost, as the manufacturing process of the batteries and their components emits CO2, among other environmental and social concerns. These same capabilities also make these batteries good candidates for energy storage for the electric grid. These batteries are a crucial part of current efforts to replace gas-powered cars that emit CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Lithium-ion batteries are a popular power source for clean technologies like electric vehicles, due to the amount of energy they can store in a small space, charging capabilities, and ability to remain effective after hundreds, or even thousands, of charge cycles. It depends exactly where and how the battery is made-but when it comes to clean technologies like electric cars and solar power, even the dirtiest batteries emit less CO2 than using no battery at all. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google Plus Email
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