Hyperdrive Daily: A Cheaper, Cobalt-Free Battery

Welcome to the Hyperdrive daily briefing, decoding the revolution reshaping the auto world, from EVs to self-driving cars and beyond.

I’m going to geek out here. Let’s talk battery chemistry. Automakers and battery suppliers are in an R&D race to come up with the next low-cost battery. The one move that is increasingly seen as the quickest way to reduce battery costs is by reducing — or replacing — the cobalt content in a battery. The alternative to that might be manganese.