Fully charged: Electric vehicles are becoming more popular, but they are still limited by how far they can travel on a single charge — a Tesla Model 3 can drive about 350 miles before needing a recharge. In a quest to build batteries that can safely take us further, startup Solid Power is working to create solid-state batteries that can pack more energy into a smaller space.
Battery powered: The company makes battery cells that replace the liquid used as the electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries with ceramic layers. This could unlock new options for battery chemistry, potentially allowing for solid batteries to be exchanged. It has taken a step towards testing the technology in vehicles by starting a large-scale pilot production line.
A warning: Questions remain about whether companies that make solid electrolytes can produce them on a large scale. Inorganic materials can be brittle and difficult to move during production. Another concern about solid batteries is how well they resist degradation over time. Read the full story.
— Casey Crownhart
The must reads
I’ve scoured the internet to find the funniest/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.
1 Big Tech Shocked By Congress’ Proposed Crackdown
Tech giants are pulling out all the stops to avert attempts to curb their market power. †FT †
† Proponents are rushing to get it over the line before the midterm elections. †CNBC†
† What does breaking up Big Tech actually mean? (MIT Technology Review)
2 The Largest NFT Marketplace Faces Settlement
OpenSea has to pay huge sums of money to settle claims of theft and plagiarism. †NYT †
† The voice of the crypto naysayers is getting louder. †WP †
† Why this crypto crash feels different from the one before it. †the guard†
† Japan has become one of the first countries to introduce a legal framework around stablecoins. †Bloomberg †
† The obsession with web3 is not without its victims. †Motherboard†
3 One of America’s Largest Baby Food Factories Has Restarted Production
Good news for parents and carers facing widespread shortages. †BBC†
† The FDA is facing an investigation into how it is dealing with the shortage. †NPR†
† The shortage of baby food has led to a shady online marketplace. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Migrants document dangerous journeys to Europe on TikTok
Social media platforms and EU lawmakers are at odds over illegal migration content. †Rest of the world)
5 You can expect to get infected with covid again
We probably need more and better vaccines. †wired †