New lithium technology can help the world go green -- if it works

FILE PHOTO: Sunset is reflected in the Salton Sea as seen from Bombay Beach, California, U.S., March 15, 2022. Picture taken March 15, 2022. REUTERS/David Swanson TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File Photo

(Reuters) - Rio Tinto, General Motors and even the U.S. Energy Department are investing heavily in a crop of newer technologies that could revolutionize the way lithium is produced for electric vehicle batteries.

Now those technologies just have to prove they work on a commercial scale.