Nickel v cobalt: the secret EV battle for the lithium ion battery

There is a low-profile battle occurring between raw material miners and chemicals manufacturers for the future of the lithium ion battery. The battery tug of war between nickel and cobalt that is being driven by electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers’ desire to cut battery cell costs and increase energy density. But the push towards high nickel 811 cathode chemistry is dogged by bad analysis and guesswork that spells the end for cobalt and suggests it is the era of nickel. The truth is a little more complicated as Benchmark Mineral Intelligence explains.

One of the biggest . . .