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Fool’s Gold May Be Worth More than Previously Believed
In our childhood, many of us would have found iron pyrites and mistakenly believed it was gold. The disappointment of finding out it was Fools Gold may be over. Fool’s gold could kick off this century’s ‘gold rush’ after scientists discovered it contains lithium.
Scientists at West Virginia University discovered a surprising amount of lithium in 15 rock samples of iron pyrite.
Source: Daily Mail (via MSN): Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Sulphur-rich pyrite doesn't require as many resources during the…
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Europe Investigates Chinese EV Subsidies
Last October, the European Commission opened an inquiry into whether Chinese automakers are the beneficiaries of such significant subsidies by the Chinese government that they have an unfair economic advantage over domestic manufacturers. The question is ridiculous, of course. Everyone on Earth knows the Chinese government has been providing massive support to its automotive sector for 20 years.
China has been open about its commitment to electric car manufacturing. It has told everyone its plans and then made those plans a reality. So, it should come as no surprise that Chinese companies can build electric cars in China, ship them overseas, and still undercut the price of electric cars from domestic manufacturers by 25% or more.
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Unsold Chinese EVs Clogging European Ports

Guy Youngs The threat of masses of cheap EVs made in China has governments concerned in Europe and the US. The USA has introduced a bill that would raise the tariff on EVs from China to 100% to protect US auto workers “from the existential threat posed by China” but Europe has no such tariff protections. The lack of high import tariffs has encouraged Chinese manufacturers to look to Europe as a place where they can send boatloads (literally) of electric cars.
A report by the Financial Times claims that Chinese manufacturers are sending more EVs to Europe than they can sell, which has led to thousands of EVs being parked at port facilities. The port operators are displeased because the glut of cars is interfering with other port activities. Some now say they are no longer ports but rather car parks for newly arrived Chinese EVs
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Alternative Power Report, May 2024
The May 2024 Alternative Power Report from Power Systems Research features several stories on Chinese EVs and the impact they are having on European and US markets. There also are stories on hydrogen development and hydrogen fueling stations. PSR
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Are Sodium Ion Batteries Viable Alternative to Lithium?
ALTERNATIVE POWER REPORT

Guy Youngs Despite lithium ion battery prices continuing to fall, interest in sodium ion (Na-ion) energy storage has not waned. Sodium ion batteries are undergoing a critical period of commercialization as industries from automotive to energy storage bet big on the technology. Sodium ion looks well placed, with superior safety, raw material costs, and environmental credentials.
Sodium ion cells, produced at scale, could be 20% to 30% cheaper than the dominant stationary storage battery technology, lithium ferro/iron-phosphate (LFP), primarily due to abundant sodium and low extraction and purification costs. Sodium ion batteries can use aluminum for the anode current collector instead of copper, which is used in lithium ion batteries, further reducing costs and supply chain risks.
Source: PV Magazine: Read The Article
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New Hydrogen Colors to Watch in 2024
Hydrogen has the potential to be emissions free but only if we understand how the hydrogen is generated / manufactured or whether it occurs naturally. Several new terms have been used recently in the press, and this article explains them.
Gold hydrogen refers to naturally occurring deposits of the gas trapped underground in a way similar to how natural gas and oil deposits are found under the Earth’s surface. This type of H2 is different from White in that White now typically refers to the gas when it is above the surface, such as in the atmosphere, but Gold refers specifically to the gas found in underground deposits.
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Study Shows Plug-in Hybrids Aren’t as Clean as We Thought
A new report by the European Commission shows that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles create much more emissions than we previously thought – by an average of 3.5 times as much as lab testing indicates.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were thought to bring the best of both worlds – a large enough battery to take care of your daily tasks, paired with a gas engine for longer trips. There are downsides in cost and complexity, but the powertrain choice does provide more options than others.
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CATL, Yutong Launch Long-life EV Battery
CATL has launched a battery pack with Yutong Bus Co to power commercial vehicles like buses and trucks. Yutong said the new battery packs will be used in upcoming electric vehicles and that the new long-lasting EV battery has zero degradation through the first 1,000 cycles.
The new EV battery pack, made with CATL, has a 932,000 mile (1.5 million km), 15-year warranty. Yutong calls the long-life battery an industry first. The bus manufacturer introduced another battery with a 10-year and 621,000 mile (1 million km) lifespan.
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Alternative Power Report, April 2024
The April 2024 Alternative Power Report by Power Systems Research features several articles on batteries including one on sodium ion batteries as an alternative to Lithium Ion batteries, and another on the dropping cost of EV batteries. Hydrogen power sources show increasing promise, and there is an article on Chinese manufacturer CATL launching a battery pack with Yutong Bus Co to power commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks that has a 15-year warranty.…