Yes, the future of EV batteries s not ripping open the earth with open pit mines, blasting, dust, dangerous chemicals and huge amounts of water for processing and discharge into our creeks for lithium.  It's as simple as salt.  Yes - sodium.  TESLA, Volkswagen and other manufacturers have now focused on a better more abundant green mineral for their EV batteries and the world's largest battery manufacturers such as CATL are gearing up for this new green technology.

The materials needed to make sodium ion batteries are much more widely available. The content of sodium in earth reserves is around 2.5% to 3%, or 300 times more abundant than lithium, and is more evenly distributed around the world according to Jefferies Group LLC analysts. That means it has a major cost advantage: These power packs could cost almost 30% to 50% less than the cheapest electric car battery options currently available. In addition, the price of sodium is less sensitive to market gyrations compared with volatile lithium, increasingly a sentiment gauge for the world’s green ambitions.  The most expensive single component for an EV is the battery and automobile manufacturers are focused to reduce the cost of the batteries not raise them meaning finding alternatives to rare earth minerals such as lithium.  With the known limited supply and the increasing cost per tonne of lithium carbonate (up from $8,000 in 2020 to $24,800 in Sept 2021) EV manufacturers are actively looking for newer and better truly green battery technology to accomplish their goals of low cost and abundant supply that don't destroy the environment to obtain.

Read the attached article and let your Gaston County Commissioners, neighbors, and families know there is a new better technology with  sodium ion battery technology that eliminates the need hard rock mining and blasting for lithium in our beautiful peaceful NW corner of Gaston County, NC.