Cambridge Professor Michael Kelly
It is estimated that current battery manufacturing capabilities will need to be in the order of 500-700 times bigger than now to support an all-electric global transport system. The materials needed just to allow the UK to transition to all electric transport involve amounts of materials equal to 200% the annual global production of cobalt, 75% of lithium carbonate, 100% of neodymium and 50% of copper. Scaling by a factor of 50 for the world transport, and you see what is now a showstopper. The materials demands just for batteries are beyond known reserves. Would one be prepared to dredge the ocean floor at very large scale for some of the material?

Stop press. Germany the mother of alternate power opened it's new coal fired power station on the 6Th of June, the first of 10 planned. This amid doubts they can long term depend on French nuclear power to keep the lights on during mild nights. The facts of life are becoming apparent even to the likes of Chancellor Merkel.

I think there will be many, many ways to reduce/offset greenhouse gas emissions to net zero.

Batteries, through improving, will be just one, albeit important.

I can see even more pollution coming our way !
Don't like it ? Stop breeding !

Batteries are just another bit of RE fantasising.

Chris batteries can only store previously generated electricity.

Apart from the fact that as detailed we do not have anything like enough cobalt or lithium to power even the UKs transport needs by battery power, the power to charge batteries & supply domestic & industrial requirements simply can not be generated by the current alternate generation systems of wind & solar.

The whole thing is a pipe dream, or a wet dream by those who hate the high living standards of the average western citizen.

Hasbeen,

Yes, I agree that batteries providing the majority of electricity is a pipe dream at moment.

Also, one would also be very wrong to purchase a battery for home at moment; way too expensive when you do maths.

However, I do feel that battery technology will improve over time, and can play some role