How Removing Cobalt From Batteries Can Make EVs Cheaper

Cobalt has been getting a lot of attention lately because it is one of the most expensive materials found in lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from laptops and cell phones to electric vehicles. Cobalt extraction is largely concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is linked to human rights abuses and child labor, while cobalt refinement is almost exclusively done in China, making cobalt part of a tenuous supply chain. These are some of the reasons why battery manufacturers like Samsung and Panasonic and car makers like Tesla and VW, along with a number of startups are working to eliminate cobalt from lithium-ion batteries completely.

Correction 11/17/2021: At 14:37, Evan Erickson misspoke — Texpower is building a facility that will be able to produce hundreds of tons of material per year not hundreds of kilograms of material per year, as he stated in the video.

About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.

Connect with CNBC News Online

#CNBC

How Removing Cobalt From Batteries Can Make EVs Cheaper

[dennybrows]

Many people may look past this but I want to point out how quality this documentary is. Genuinely

[benjaminnead]

Very good article, CNBC. This is the sort of information that I usually expect to find on specialty web sites that cater to clean energy topics exclusively. Thanks for not dumbing it down to appease to a so-call mainstream audience.

[CHL]

China did bet on both side. They control the most cobalt mines and refineries, and also the largest producer of cobalt-free batteries...

[prombo]

I got my Tesla 2 months ago, and it uses Chinese LFP (cobalt-free) cells, assembled and delivered in America.

[pinkelephants]

A great deal is made of cobalt inclusion in lithium ion battery packs but you almost NEVER hear about the monumental amount of cobalt used in oil refining to remove sulphur or in the manufacture of stainless steel & other industrial processes. And conveniently, journalists in particular, have no problem with omitting the fact that our mobile phones, laptops, tablets & many other devices have far more cobalt percentage wise, in their batteries than those used in EV's & you 'certainly' never hear any criticisms about its inclusion in (those) products in relation to human rights abuses or child labour. To be clear, whilst child labour is unfortunately used to mine cobalt in the Congo, it only amounts to about 0•04% of all cobalt mined according to Amnesty International.

[delicious]

CNBC has impressed me with their online videos on many topics like these. Great job!

[marloeleven]

got to commend the researcher and writer of this article. complete, precise and very informative

[Sunnytimtim]

Good job CNBC..
It’s one of the best informative documentary

[lashnhith]

This is a very good overview video.

One issue to note, which was overlooked in the video, is that much of the production of cobalt in the D.R. Congo is by large scale mechanized copper operations. “Artisanal” or small scale mining (“ASM”) accounted for no more than 20-22% of D.R. Congo’s cobalt production at its peak and is now likely less than 10% (note:
ASMs act as swing players that can rapidly adjust production as prices fluctuate). Moreover, only a small fraction of ASM is illegal or tied to human rights violations. That being said, more production diversification is needed
for cobalt and many other commodities.

[TheAdventureAuto]

This battery tech of the future is pretty exciting.

[xexas]

Can we spot the light on the cobalt being used to refine gasoline?

[bravosierra]

I am considering buying an EV car in the next 18 months & this video has gone along way to help me understand what it is I am looking for in an EV car.

[srivariveedhi]

It's good to know that NRIs are doing great work to make world a better place

[MrMischelito]

You can't say "heating sth to 1000 C" is "environmentally unfriendly" per se. It really really depends on the alternatives and on the source of energy.

[keco]

A lot of cobalt is used in smartphone batteries and for refining oil. For EVs they tend to use low-cobalt battery technologies. Cobalt free LFP is almost certainly going to take over the market in the near future because it's cheaper, safer, and can be repeatedly charged to 100% without degradation unlike cobalt technologies which should only be charged to 80% most of the time.

[mumblic]

Positive surprised with this video. In previous videos I have noticed a lot of incorrect and misleading information.
This video feels much more correct and informative.

[oxide]

Remember the majority of Cobalt mined is actually not used in battery production. Its used as a catalyst to clean up petrochemical fuels, where its consumed forever, meaning more needs mined. But what is used in batteries can be recovered when recycling them. You don't watch one youtube video and think you know everything about a topic

[johnpetit]

The BYD blade battery is cobalt free and the safest battery by far. Only battery to pass the nail through test. Also very good in extreme heat and cold.

[malekmalek]

China's biggest ev manufacturer BYD never stepped down from LFP technology, BYD still very underrated

[universalnettv]

Remove cobalt, please. As a Congolese I know that the war will never end as long as you are still using this bloody metals. 🙏