How to Mine Cobalt Without Going to Congo
- Recycling techniques can draw metal from lithium-ion batteries
- New source could meet 10% of car industry’s metal needs
Why Electric Cars Aren't Taking Over Yet
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Almost 9,000 miles from the dusty Congo savanna, miners have hit on an entirely new source of cobalt -- the rare mineral at the heart of the electric-car boom. And not only can they take coffee breaks, when they take a break, they can grab a donut at Tim Hortons.
Scientists working for American Manganese Inc., located in the suburbs of Vancouver, have developed a way to produce enough of the bluish-gray metal to power all the electric cars on the road today without drilling into the ground: by recycling faulty batteries.