Going cobalt free to make electric vehicles batteries cheaper, ethical
The price of lithium ion batteries fell by around 89 percent between 2010 and 2020 but one of the most expensive materials in them is cobalt. This metallic element which is mostly obtained through refining nickel ore represents roughly 30 percent of the cost of batteries that power everything from your mobile phone to electric vehicles. For a typical 80 kilowatt-hour battery, cobalt tacks on $800 to the price tag.
Besides the cost, cobalt also has a dark side, it is associated with human rights abuses and child labor prompting companies to seek alternatives to make cobalt-free batteries.
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