lithium

Chinese automaker BYD has confirmed plans to bring an electric vehicle equipped with a solid-state battery to market in 2027. Solid-state batteries are seen as a potential breakthrough for electric cars, promising greater range, faster charging and improved safety over today's lithium-ion cells. The announcement puts BYD in the race with other manufacturers working toward mass production of the technology.

China currently supplies up to 70% of the battery-grade lithium chemicals used in Europe, and a German recycling company has opened a new plant it hopes will help cut that dependence. The company's process recovers lithium from batteries, though significant obstacles remain before it can make a real dent in imports. The project is being watched as a test case for Europe's broader push to secure homegrown supplies of critical raw materials for the electric vehicle and battery industries.

A Nature piece examines how the environmental and social impacts of lithium mining and extraction can be reduced as global demand for the metal keeps rising with battery production. Researchers discuss ways to lower the footprint of lithium used in electric vehicles and energy storage.

A new lithium iron phosphate battery can charge from 10% to 70% in 4.5 minutes at 65°C, a figure being held up against China's sub-five-minute fast-charging claims. The debate now is whether US charging networks and grid infrastructure can match these speeds, since a fast battery is only useful if public chargers can deliver that much power reliably.

The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre has released the South America edition of its Transition Minerals Tracker 2026, monitoring companies extracting minerals used in renewable energy technologies across the region. The tracker documents human rights issues linked to lithium, copper and other transition minerals operations, covering labour practices, community impacts and environmental concerns in countries such as Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.

A Lufthansa aircraft had to make an emergency landing after a passenger's powerbank caught fire on board, forcing the crew to declare an in-flight emergency. The incident is drawing attention in Germany, with reports from FOCUS Online and widespread searches around the term 'Luftnotlage'. It adds to ongoing concerns about the fire risks of lithium-ion batteries carried in cabin luggage.

Saltwater flooding in South Jersey has triggered fires in electric vehicles, as salt water can short-circuit lithium-ion batteries and ignite them, sometimes days after submersion. Local firefighters and officials are warning owners of flooded EVs to keep vehicles away from structures and to have them inspected. The incidents have renewed discussion about EV battery safety during coastal storms and flooding.

Several golf carts with lithium-ion batteries caught fire near Teal Bend Golf Course, local outlet FOX40 reports. No details were given about injuries or the cause, but the incident adds to growing scrutiny of lithium-ion battery fire risks in everyday equipment, as lithium cells can ignite and burn intensely when damaged or overcharged.

PeakDo is teasing a new power bank designed for the Starlink Mini portable satellite dish, built around a semi-solid-state battery. Details remain scarce beyond the teaser, but the promise of semi-solid-state cell technology points to higher energy density and improved safety compared with conventional lithium-ion packs. The announcement is drawing attention from satellite internet users and gadget watchers interested in longer runtimes for off-grid Starlink Mini setups.