Turning over an old Leaf (of the species Nissan) and reusing its batteries may be a partial answer to the shortage of lithium. The energetic metal is hard to get and often in short supply. In several entries to come, we’ll try to find some answers to questions about sourcing battery materials, how safe we can make batteries, and what future batteries may be like. When Weight is no Object When you don’t need to consider weight as part of your battery needs, as in ground-based energy storage units, why bother with lithium? It’s potentially explosive, so find elements that are less so, although sometimes heavier. Or, in some uses, use all the potential from existing sources that no longer live up to their specifications. Electric cars need a change of battery packs, for instance, when their cells can manage only 80 percent or so of their original range. One solution in Lancaster, California, B2U uses old Nissan Leaf battery …
