If the 20th century was the age of the internal combustion engine, the 21st belongs to the battery. Within a few decades, batteries will probably be the dominant source of power propelling cars and trucks, and they could even become commonplace in helicopters and planes. Far from their golf cart predecessors, today's electric vehicles can reach ludicrous speeds while emitting far fewer pollutants than gas guzzlers. They're also easier to make, and their batteries can be recycled. Carmakers from General Motors Co.to BMW AG are spending billions of dollars to make environmentally friendly transportation a reality. But the effort comes with its own environmental hazards, and pressure is building to ensure the companies are sourcing the critical elements responsibly. It would be all too easy to fall into many of the same traps as the oil industry that EVs are meant to leave behind. Here and on page 38, we take a look at the raw materials in batteries, from lithium to cobalt to zinc, to see how their green credentials compare.
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