Enjoying the show? Support our mission and help keep the content coming by buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/deepdivepodcastWe are living through one of the biggest shifts in human history—a full-scale revolution in how we power our world, and at its heart is the humble battery. With the EV battery market alone projected to hit $250 billion by 2035, this is a massive global race for dominance that will define the next century of how we live and move.

The current king is Lithium, the chemical backbone for millions of EV batteries. But the industry is locked in a high-stakes battle to find the next big thing, pitting established giants like Albemarle against high-risk hopefuls betting on massive new deposits.

The biggest prize being chased is the solid-state battery. Unlike today's liquid-electrolyte batteries, solid-state uses a solid material, promising a revolutionary leap forward: 50% more range, charging in less than 15 minutes, and being far safer. Although they are "insanely hard to manufacture" and unproven at scale, global car companies like VW, BMW, Ford, and GM are all-in, backing various solid-state startups in this high-stakes space race.

While one group chases the high-performance moon shot, another is focused on making batteries radically cheaper right now. The undisputed champion here is Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), with China controlling over 80% of the world's production—the reason affordable EVs are already a reality there.

However, a new hybrid, semi solid-state battery from a UK company called 24M is making an almost unbelievable claim: a cost of just $0.06 per Watt hour (current average is $0.115) and a full charge in only four minutes. If true, this single revolution could drop the price of a $30,000 EV to less than $20,000.

Another low-cost contender is Sodium Ion batteries, pioneered by CATL. This technology replaces expensive lithium with abundant, ultra-cheap sodium (table salt). The catch? Lower energy density, making them perfect for stationary energy storage and budget-friendly city EVs, proving that the future will require the right tool for the right job.

What if the battery pack just disappeared because the car's body was the battery? This is the concept of a structural battery, merging the car's frame with its power source. Researchers at Chalmers University have already developed a material with half the stiffness of steel that can also store energy. This breakthrough could dramatically boost efficiency and open the door to radically new vehicle designs.

The future of batteries won't be one single technology to rule them all. Instead, it will be a diverse ecosystem: conventional lithium ion dominating today, cheaper alternatives like sodium ion scaling up for specific jobs in the near future, and long-term game changers like solid-state and structural batteries defining how we move in the next 100 years.

The Holy Grail: Solid-StateThe Low-Cost RevolutionStructural Batteries: The Radical Idea