Ben James deep dives into battery chemistry (without needing a chemistry degree to understand).

I used to think that all lithium batteries were the same. I knew that these things called “lithium ion batteries” were in our phones, laptops, EVs, and rechargeable nose hair trimmers. I figured that apart from some slight tweaks, all lithium ion batteries were pretty similar.

I was very wrong! Different types of lithium ion batteries are actually made of completely different materials. Lithium is the only big one that they have in common. In fact, there’s a fascinating battle unfolding between different types of lithium ion battery. It’s not just a story about the best battery chemistry, but one of cost, patents, and jostling superpowers.