Inside every smartphone and tablet lies a dense brick with a dark and complex history: its battery. The lithium that ferries charge back and forth likely started out in South American salt flats, where months of evaporation consumes millions of tons of water in some of the world’s driest regions.

The cobalt that buffers the material against the ravages of daily recharging probably came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where children have allegedly been maimed and killed extracting it from the ground.

Amazon, Panasonic, and Recycling Battery Start-Ups… | Devamı>>>

Trials of a hydrogen-powered train are underway in the U.K. with an initial journey successfully completed between the locations of Long Marston and Evesham in the West Midlands region of England.

The HydroFLEX train — which has been developed by a team from the University of Birmingham and Porterbrook, a rolling stock firm — uses a fuel-cell which combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, heat and water.

UK Trials Hydrogen-Powered Train in Latest Step… | Devamı>>>

The future of the auto industry may boil down to the difference made by a single letter: R. As in, the difference between a lithium-ion battery, like those found in today’s electric vehicles made by Tesla and others, and the lithium-iron phosphate batteries coming soon to market.

As Elon Musk’s Tesla has been talking up new battery technology development as part of the lead-up to the company’s first-ever Battery Day for investors, Wall Street is buzzing about the difference the next generation of batteries may make.

Lower-Cost, ‘Million-Mile’ Electric-Car Batteries | Devamı>>>

Volvo Trucks is now driven to roll out electrically-fueled heavy-duty trucks — the kind that makes short runs. It’s part of an effort by the state of California to help clean up air pollution and specifically in Los Angeles. Up first: about two dozen trucks with the accompanying charging stations.

Specifically, the California Air Resources Board is investing $45 million. The money will be used by Volvo Trucks and 14 others to advance electric transportation and to promote zero-emissions technologies.

The Trucking Industry Is Embracing Change And Moving To Electric Vehicles | Devamı>>>