Governing Body Statement: The Potential of Graphene: Fashioning the Tomorrow of Sustainable Mobility
As the head of a company engaged in advancement of transportation systems, I often ponder about the impact of new technologies in this sector on people's lives.
I aspire that new inventions and techniques could erase the common sight of vehicles stagnated in prolonged traffic jams on highways, emitting harmful gases, making way for clean urban environments where breathable air doesn't come as a surprise.
I think one crucial step towards this goal is shifting from petroleum-based fuels to electricity, but lithium could pose a significant hurdle in realizing this ambition of an advanced, secure, and environmentally friendly transport system. Let's explore why.
The Harmful 'White Gold'
Lithium, frequently referred to as 'white gold' in media, surrounds our contemporary lives in our smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and vehicles. It's inseparable from modern living. However, even as we enrich technology, we deprive nature of this vital element.
The most common method to extract lithium involves drilling deep wells in open salt marshes to extract salty groundwater rich in minerals. Contaminated water caused by industrial pumping is diverted into water sources meant for consumption. A high salt concentration dries up the environment, depriving people, animals, and plants of essential moisture sources.
The devastation of ecosystems within the 'lithium triangle,' which spans Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, is evident.
Local residents, gazing at dried riverbeds, fear the loss of their livelihoods. Irene Leonor Flores de Callata, a representative of the Colo people living in Argentina's mountainous regions, expressed her concerns in an interview with Euronews: "Without water, what will we do? If the mines arrive, we will lose our culture, we will have nothing left."
Those who envision the future of electric transport through lithium should reflect on this question: "Is the added 100 to 200 kilometers range for electric vehicles worth compromising an entire nation's future and damaging ecosystems in specific regions?"
A Sustainable Alternative
My company's scientific team, along with others, are working diligently to develop eco-friendly technologies. Research indicates that graphene is the future of electric transportation.
Carbon-based batteries, such as those using graphene, demonstrate superior potential compared to lithium-ion batteries. Carbon, abundantly found on Earth, excels as a natural energy storage medium. Existing batteries have already shown improvements with the use of graphene, enhancing their characteristics.
While reliable production technologies for carbon-based electric energy batteries are yet to be developed, this is the path associated with our environment. Graphene's high thermal conductivity helps reduce heating and enhancement of performance, thus extending battery life.
Graphene's capacity is remarkable – up to 1,000 watt-hours of energy per kilogram. Lithium-ion batteries, on the other hand, can only store up to 180 watt-hours. Graphene's environmental friendliness and safety shine through where lithium-based compounds cannot.
The Future
Today, the primary challenge in implementing graphene batteries is the cost of carbon fiber. However, within the next decade, I am optimistic that engineers will discover methods to scale up graphene production effectively.
Approximately 300 organizations are currently working on graphene battery technology. For example, Spanish company Graphenano is developing a battery based on graphene polymer. This type of battery can provide electric vehicles with a range of up to 500 kilometers with just a five-minute recharge.
Toray Industries is also leading the research, having developed a highly fluid dispersion solution of graphene with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. This innovation allows for the production of high-quality, thin graphene at a lower cost.
Their development already offers a 50% improvement in battery life compared to traditional carbon nanotubes as conductive agents.
Green Transportation in the Next Decade
The use of graphene energy storage devices holds the potential to offer numerous advantages. Firstly, the lightweight nature of these batteries could increase transportation vehicle capacity, owing to reduced weight. Additionally, the exceptional strength and durability of graphene promise to contribute to longer battery life and reduced replacement demands.
Businesses wishing to embrace the future of sustainable transportation can join the organizations exploring the potential of graphene batteries as an alternative to lithium-ion technology. For companies in the transportation or energy sectors, specifically, investing in research and development in graphene-based technologies is crucial.
Stay updated on graphene battery production and scalability advancements to cut costs and improve performance. I believe that the widespread adoption of graphene-based technologies will help make public transport faster, safer, and more affordable, providing businesses with an opportunity to capitalize on the shift towards sustainable transportation.
Business Council Online is the premier growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
In the pursuit of sustainable alternatives for electric transportation, Nadezhda Kosareva's company is actively researching the use of graphene, believing it to be the future of carbon-based batteries. This could potentially offer numerous advantages over lithium-ion batteries, such as increased vehicle capacity due to reduced weight and longer battery life.
As the head of this company, Nadezhda Kosareva recognizes the significance of staying updated on graphene battery production and scalability advancements, as investing in research and development in graphene-based technologies could provide businesses with an opportunity to capitalize on the shift towards sustainable transportation.
