From smartphones to e-cars - How important is the lithium-ion battery? | DW Documentary

The lithium-ion battery is proving to be one of the most important innovations for the 21st century. This new technology is the cornerstone of e-mobility and digitalization. It’s set to play a big role in enabling the switch to renewable energies.

Without the lithium-ion battery, many of the technological innovations we take for granted today would be almost inconceivable. From smartphones to e-cars, the lithium-ion battery can be found in almost every battery-powered device.

The technology is particularly well-established in one, perhaps surprising, place: the warehouse. In the field of "intralogistics,” e-mobility is already the order of the day. In fact, lithium-ion forklifts have been hard at work in warehouses around the world for more than a decade.

The Hamburg-based Jungheinrich company is a trailblazer in this technology. But pioneering comes with challenges. Intralogistics deals with a wide variety of issues, from artificial intelligence to sustainability, resource availability, and recycling. This film explores the extraction of lithium, the production of state-of-the-art cells and their use in vehicles and AI-controlled large-scale energy storage. It highlights the latest developments in this promising and rapidly advancing field.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #lithium #technology
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[flavinmigwi]

You learn something everyday. DW documentaries are unbiased

[Afrocanuk]

A major factor is Li-Ion battery susceptibility to temperature extremes. In cold enough temperatures Li-Ion batteries can lose around 40% charge.

[sergiorivaslamas]

Incredible. I am so sad that my country, Bolivia, one of the country with the biggest Lithium deposits of the world is just beggining to explode it. but our weakened state is not trust worth it. Corruption, negligence, impunity are the heart of my country. This documentary shows us a better, greener future. Ironically after covid 19 pandemic, urban mobility in bolivia got worse. thousands of noisy motorcycles and cars entered illegally to the country. We, now, live in a noisier, filtier, unhuman cities.
I wish to see this change in Bolivia of fosil fuel to lithium iron battery during my life time.

[stanleytolle]

At the geothermal plants at the Salten Sea area California USA Li extraction plants are currently being built. It appears that about 40% of the world's supply of Li can be produced from this one geothermo area.

[paulkazibacharles]

The speed at which innovation is taking place, leaves us with one conclusion: the future is now! Thank you.

[Nilles]

Well the manufacturers wouldn't like that. Same as the "unbreakable" glass which never entered the market. Wouldn't do good on their sales...

[loadapish]

i cant believe those electric forklifts have been around since 2008! i first saw 1 in 2022, i wish they were more widespread here sooner! i destroyed my back between 2010 and 2020 by moving pallets

[benediktmorak]

und wie werden die Batterien aufgeladen? Mit Himbeersaft?

[Boo-pvhn]

Recycling “clean energy “ products is a must like the car batteries phone batteries and solar pannels, research lab grown versions of those mines ect

[willclayton]

not true filling the dissel tank is cheaper than the power bill from charging

[leaveempty]

Vanadium flow batteries for green grid storage. Big stuff happening in South Africa.

[willclayton]

propane is even cheaper then the power bill. plus the batters are super sensitive to temp to hot or cold and the fork lift will just quit on you

[gee]

Imagine humanity spending the same amount of effort on this technology as it currently spends on making weapons!

[momentspersecond]

Congratulations for the documentary
All the best! 😉

[FREEMAYKELOSORBO]

What happens to the waste when you extract these materials from the earth ?

[karenishness]

Not to forget how these batteries are exploding into infernos with no time for people to escape. A chinese fleet of busses gone within 30 seconds.

[henrytsao]

I wonder if the extraction of lithium, the creation, and the recycle is actually producing less waste than fossil fuel cars. I mean mining pollutes water and is energy intensive. I am personally going to reduce driving to help instead of relying on innovatins.

[salihmarangoz]

The name of the musical piece starting at 0:05?

[SilentRacer]

Lithium-Ion’s 10th anniversary? Try 38th, the tech was developed in 1985

[willclayton]

your not cuting emissons your just moving it