lithium: it's about the batteries - 3.7 volt rechargeable lithium ion battery
As the New York Times reported for the first time, Pentagon officials and U. S. Defense Department officials formed a team. S.
Geologists have discovered deposits worth nearly $1 trillion in Afghanistan.
Among them, the most attractive is the transfer of a large number of lithium ore beds under the title "Saudi Arabia of lithium" from Chile, which is believed to contain 27% of the world's known minerals in the deposit of Salar de Atacama, and put it directly in Afghanistan.
Why is lithium so important?
Because it is a key material in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries powered by Apple's iPad, it is the research of BlackBerry, insulin pump, Amazon Kindle, Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.
But what if the world is oversupplied?
As part of the 2009 stimulus package, the federal government paid $2 billion to "green" car battery manufacturers.
By 2015, the factory will have the ability to produce enough batteries or 1 for 15 million hybrid cars.
5 million electric vehicles.
If oil prices soar and battery prices plummet, there will be enough buyers for all these cars.
This may happen with improvements to traditional lithium
Ion batteries of researchers like a123
The team of the IBM Battery 500 project wants to use lithium-
A single charge can push 4 families for 500 miles.
Lithium is also dangerous in addition to cost and weight
Even if the production cost is reduced, the Ion battery may increase the cost: Transportation. The U. S.
The Department of Transport is working on a new rule to classify batteries as hazardous materials.
If this rule is not passed, Jim obertal, chairman of the House Transportation Committee (Dx96Minn. )
Similar restrictions will be imposed.
To learn how to play the role of lithium in your portfolio, see investment green technology by technology editor Kerry Dolan and contributor Oliver hazimei for electric vehicles
"For more challenges ahead, see staff writer Jonathan Fahi's add battery for electric vehicles and our content partner Knowledge @ Wharton's obstacles to electric vehicles