The United States has published a strategy for lithium-ion battery manufacturing which calls for the elimination of cobalt and nickel from the cathode by the end of the current decade.
It intends to achieve this through research and development into new technologies, with the goal of establishing a domestic battery supply chain that meets the demands of the growing electric vehicle (EV) and electrical grid storage markets, the government said in the strategy document.
The blueprint has been developed by the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries, which is led by the government's departments of Energy, Defense, Commerce and State, and includes many other organizations across the US government.
"A robust, secure, domestic industrial base for lithium-based batteries requires access to a reliable supply of raw, refined and processed material inputs for lithium batteries," the document said.
"The goal is to reduce US battery manufacturing dependence on scarce materials, or those controlled by unreliable partners, in order to develop a stronger and more secure supply chain," it added.
"The challenge to creating a competitive...