Post #987020

2026-04-07 05:48 UTC

I would rrrrrreaally want Europe to immediately start reverse engineering—and subsequently start improving on—the sodium-ion batteries coming out of China. Benefit for all over intellectual property, or some justified tit-for-tat, whatever you want to call it. This is the technology we’ve been waiting for to switch from gas and coal to wind and solar, without the rare minerals etc. currently required. And it delivers better performing and less combustible EVs. Also a nice benefit. https://web.archive.org/web/20260327065033/https://www.catl.com/en/news/6720.html

Replies (3)

@nemeciii@mastodon.social 2026-04-07 06:19

@avuko there are other pronising battery chemistries too. Iron oxide for example. All in all I'd say it's cheaper to buy complete than fight in the patent courts for the right to sell a reverse engineered product at utility scale.

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@iwein@mas.to 2026-04-07 09:13

@avuko most of the underlying research was done outside of China, so the concept is most certainly not IP protected anyway. There are several promising designs developed all over the world, so it's not a lack of IP, but a lack of investment that's holding the rest of the world back from this… we'll get there eventually I guess. In other great news, a new sulfur based battery design has been proposed in Groningen, which looks like it could compete very well here as well. https://pure.rug.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/788185404/Chapter_1.pdf

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@jawarajabbi@mastodon.online 2026-04-07 12:38

@avuko I don't think anyone needs to be too precious about Chinese intellectual property. All's fair in love and war.

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