Good point, Graphene.It is interesting that the new cathodes...

Good point, Graphene.

It is interesting that the new cathodes developed by Tesla are over 80% nickel, there is very little Lithium in their batteries. They are achieving over 90% retained charge levels, even after over 4,000 recharges, which is phenomenal. The implications for the uses of these new batteries with over 20 years lifespan are huge. Tesla EVs have components designed to last 1,000,000 miles, and from 2020 they will have batteries that will last that long as well! Their trucks, PowerWalls and Grid storage will benefit enormously from these new batteries.

Graphite demand for batteries, and for a recovering steel industry, is expected to increase in the coming years. Hopefully VRC will be in the mix to supply Graphite to meet this demand!


"Tesla CEO Elon Musk said: “Our cells should be called nickel-graphite, because primarily the cathode is nickel and the anode side is graphite with silicon oxide… [there’s] a little bit of lithium in there, but it’s like the salt on the salad.”"

*** "Synthetic graphite is a manufactured product made by high-temperature treatment of amorphous carbon materials. In the United States, the primary feedstock used for making synthetic graphite is calcined petroleum coke and coal tar pitch. This makes it very expensive to produce — up to 10 times the cost of natural graphite – and less appealing for use in most applications."