Lithium-ion batteries have had some bad press lately, but this bad press comes, usually, from those that have a vested interest in other power sources. On the hole, lithium is pretty much a no-brainer when it comes to what companies should be using to power their devices, from flashlights to motor vehicles.

The environment is one of the biggest benefactors when it comes to people using lithium-ion batteries & technology. So we are going to list 10 of the most important positive impacts lithium-ion batteries have on the environment.

1. Electric vehicles

A huge plus point of having Lithium-ion batteries is that they can be used to power vehicles as an alternative to damaging fossil fuels. Motor vehicles and the abundance of them are one of the biggest polluters of air and having cars powered on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is of huge importance.

2. Solar applications

Solar power is also used to reduce the need for electricity plants and make households self-sufficient. The Solar panels use lithium-ion to charge themselves and to create renewable electricity. So reliance on huge power plants and stations to get your power is becoming less of a need.

3. Mining of lithium

95% of Lithium comes from pumping underground brine into pans, then allowing the liquid to evaporate. After this, they separate the lithium using electrolysis. Which is much less destructive than mining methods for fossil fuels.

4. Rechargeable

It seems obvious, but it is very important to state. Having batteries that can be charged many thousands of time and that last & continue to power devices means we are less reliant on one-use alkaline batteries.

5. Maximized energy output

Lithium-ion maximizes the output of energy from any device. A great example is that of the simple flashlight, which has evolved to become much brighter and much more efficient due to lithium-ion batteries.

6. Lighter Weight

Of course, this is great for all of our little gadgets that we use on a day to day basis, but it is also great when thinking about environmental factors & transportation of these batteries.

7. Evolution of the Battery

Lithium-ion isn’t perfect by any means, but the fact we have it means that the powers that be are always evolving the technology to be more efficient and also to think of new technologies (like, sea water batteries or the nano-flowcell).

8. Recyclability

Now, there are some question marks about how much the Lithium-ion battery can be recycled. But, just like we have mentioned above, it is getting better and better as the year's progress. This means that it has the potential to be recycled, unlike that of fossil fuels.

9. Longevity

An average lithium-ion car battery can last for around 6 years, which is a serious amount of time before you even need to think about recycling.

10. Fast Charging

You can charge lithium-ion extremely fast compared to the alternatives. This means less energy charging over long periods.

So there you have it, when it comes to the environment Lithium-ion batteries are a much more environmentally friendly option when compared to other energy sources. Lithium-ion is not perfect, but it is definitely the right direction for renewable energies to go in.