Green(er) batteries

Once the darling of climate transition, the lithium-ion battery has lately turned into something of a problem child. The issue: mining rare raw materials like lithium, cobalt and nickel that are essential to this technology is linked to all sorts of environmental headaches, wild price swings and — in some cases — awkward questions around working conditions. Producing battery components for rechargeable vehicles is often a dirty business — and that’s before the materials are shipped halfway around the world for their final assembly.

The environmental toll in particular threatens to overshadow the lithium-ion battery’s key advantage: it stores a lot of energy for its weight. Luckily, a number of disruptive startups in Europe are riding to the battery’s rescue. Whether they’re racing to stop lithium-ion’s fall from grace or pushing for more common, and environmentally friendly alternatives to snatch its crown, their ultimate goal is the same: to restore batteries’ green credentials.