Nano One Could Be Savior For Electric Vehicle Makers In Tight Resource Market

The rise of Electric Vehicles (EV's) has been much faster than many predicted.

Tesla took an idea that was thought to be boring and uneconomic, and showed the world how sleek and attractive an EV can be. Enter China, who probably sees its growing dependence on imported petroleum as a huge strategic liability, and has stated that within a decade the petrol powered auto may be a thing of the past on Chinese roads.

From a bird's eye perspective there is nothing to stop the EV revolution from coming to pass. All of the technology works, and as China has shown, EV's can be produced on scale and are just as competent for urban transportation as any other form of auto.

There is just one tiny issue.

The elements we need to make this all happen are in short supply.

Our modern age was built on back of iron, coal, copper and petroleum. Elements like cobalt and lithium were bit players, but never vital in the way they are becoming today. Much like silver, these now necessary elements were produced as byproducts of other form of mining, and there was nearly always a good surplus of them above ground.

But like many things today, that dynamic is changing.

The recent failed attempt by Volkswagen to secure supplies of cobalt via long term contract is a perfect example of how much things have changed in a matter of years, and it is also why a Vancouver based company named Nano One could be such a big deal as the EV industry come into its own.

A Game of Nanometers

With the rise in demand for high tech batteries has come come big opportunities for companies like Nano One. Their focus is creating a scalable nano manufacturing technology that would be used in cathode materials for next generation batteries.

At the moment this market is valued in the $3 Billion USD range, but with the advent of large scale renewable power sources like wind and solar, the need for battery storage will only grow.

The advantage that Nano One brings to the table is a much lighter battery, that could also have a smaller form factor. For an EV, this would mean more efficient operation, which could translate to higher performance, or greater distance on a single charge.

Smartphones would also be able to be made even smaller, or thinner, while maintaining their present battery performance.

Not too shabby, no?

Value At Scale

While EV's and smartphones would be huge beneficiaries of Nano One's breakthrough technology, the sustainable power space is really the big market that is waiting in the wings.

In many areas of the world, wind farms are now the cheapest source of power by a wide margin. While their generating ability is incredible, they will always lack the ability to deliver baseload electricity. Once a battery system is integrated into a solar or wind power system, it would function just like any other form of electrical production, but without any need for depletable fuel source.

That is why Elon Musk just built a 100Mw battery array in South Australia, and it is also why Nano One's proprietary manufacturing process holds mind-blowing potential. Their technology would cut down on the need for elements that are in short supply, and that would be good for just about everyone.

There are many places on the planet that could be completely powered by solar or wind based generation, but the amount of battery based storage is immense. We are in the very early stages of this shift away from conventional power, but Nano One is looking to the future, and finding solutions to the big challenges.

The Showstopper

The rapidity of all these technological innovations has taken many by storm.

It should come as no surprise that Nano One is being courted by Asian interests, especially the Chinese, who look at electrical infrastructure as a strategic advantage in the global economy. The next ten years could see some major changes in how electricity is produced and stored, and a company like Nano One has the opportunity to be at the forefront of this paradigm shift away from fossil fuels.

If you are interested in meeting the people behind this technology, the Cantech Investment Conference is a great place to interface with Nano One, and a host of other cutting edge Canadian technology companies.

Other hot tech sectors like Blockchain, cryptocurrencies, VR/AR, AI and Machine Learning will be represented by some of the leading companies in their space, and it would be hard to find another event with so much talent in one place. There is little doubt that these technologies will be making a big impact on our world over the next few years, so now is the time to learn more about them.

The Conference happens on January 31^st, at the Metro Toronto Convention Center, in Toronto. Registration is now open, and if you preregister, or are a student, there are reduced prices available!