THE LITHIUM REVOLUTION

Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most popular types of rechargeable batteries for portable electronics and electric vehicles. Thus a prerequisite for the spreading of electronic mobility. We tell three stories about the vision of electronic mobility. Over 50% of lithium resources worldwide are found in Bolivia. Evo Morales wants to break out of the vicious circle of poverty and exploitation and has thrown multinational companies out of the country, in order to industrialize Lithium himself. In China, the government is pumping millions into the e-technology sector. The aim is to make China a leading provider of e-mobility within a few years. Not only are the Chinese determined, many members of the western world are jumping onto the bandwagon: they have realized that e-mobility is the key to the reduction of CO2 emissions and will end the luring dependence on oil. Renault, Nissan and General Motors produced an electric car suitable for mass production. The question is whether batteries will make the necessary developmental jump in the near future, or if the dream of e-mobility will fail as it has in the 1990’s.