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Lithium

Lithium, the lightest metal, produces more energy per gram than any other battery material. In years to come, you may find a lithium battery under the hood of your energy-efficient car.

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries currently use lithium cobalt dioxide as a cathode, but cobalt is too rare and expensive for a mass-market battery.

Researchers at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) are testing new cathode materials based on cheaper lithium-manganese compounds to produce an economical battery that can be used to power electric vehicles.