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In this week\u2019s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Micah Ziegler, an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, about the science, policy, and economics behind electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This episode continues a multipart series on EVs, which covers some of the most practical matters that EV users need to know. In this second episode of the series, Ziegler discusses the history of the development of EV batteries (which might be longer than you think), the materials that are used in batteries, and technological advancements that have improved battery efficiency over the past century. Ziegler also highlights policy tools that may be especially effective at reducing the costs of clean energy technologies such as EV batteries. \n\nFuture episodes will dive deeper on charging stations and road trips\u2014stay tuned for those. And as you listen, please let us know if we\u2019ve missed any questions that you\u2019re curious about; we may address those in a future podcast episode or blog post. And if you\u2019d rather not spin your wheels on this topic, then tune back in after a few weeks, when we\u2019ll return to our normally scheduled programming, which covers all kinds of matters related to environmental economics.\n\n-----\n\nRelated episodes in this series:\n\nDemystifying Electric Vehicle Ownership, with Sebastian Blanco; https://soundcloud.com/resourcesradio/demystifying-electric-vehicle-ownership-with-sebastian-blanco\n\nInnovations in Electric Vehicle Batteries, with Micah Ziegler; https://soundcloud.com/resourcesradio/innovations-in-electric-vehicle-batteries-with-micah-ziegler\n\nExpanding Access to Electric Vehicle Chargers, with Kimathi Boothe; https://soundcloud.com/resourcesradio/expanding-access-to-electric-vehicle-chargers-with-kimathi-boothe\n\nElectric Road Trip: The Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicle Ownership, with Kristin Hayes; https://soundcloud.com/resourcesradio/electric-road-trip-the-pros-and-cons-of-electric-vehicle-ownership-with-kristin-hayes\n\n-----\n\nReferences and recommendations:\n\n\u201cRe-examining rates of lithium-ion battery technology improvement and cost decline\u201d by Micah S. Ziegler and Jessika E. Trancik; https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/ee/d0ee02681f\n\n\u201cDeterminants of lithium-ion battery technology cost decline\u201d by Micah S. Ziegler, Juhyun Song, and Jessika E. Trancik; https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/ee/d1ee01313k\n\n\u201cEvaluating the causes of cost reduction in photovoltaic modules\u201d by Goksin Kavlak, James McNerney, and Jessika E. Trancik; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421518305196?via%3Dihub\n\n\u201cThe Very Hungry Caterpillar\u201d by Eric Carle; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301943/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-by-eric-carle/\n\n\u201cAll the World\u201d by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/All-the-World/Liz-Garton-Scanlon/9781481431217\n\n\u201cEnergy Firms, Green Groups and Others Reach Deal on Solar Farms\u201d by Ivan Penn; https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/business/energy-environment/solar-farm-agreement.html\n\n\u201cAmericans don\u2019t hate living near solar and wind farms as much as you might think\u201d by Allyson Chiu, Emily Guskin, and Scott Clement; https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/10/03/solar-panels-wind-turbines-nimby/\n\n\u201cDemand for minerals sparks fear of mining abuses on Indigenous peoples\u2019 lands\u201d by Julia Simon; https://www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1226125617/demand-for-minerals-sparks-fear-of-mining-abuses-on-indigenous-peoples-lands\n\n\u201cThe U.S. is expanding CO2 pipelines. One poisoned town wants you to know its story\u201d by Julia Simon; https://www.npr.org/2023/05/21/1172679786/carbon-capture-carbon-dioxide-pipeline