Longer-lasting electrical automotive batteries, and Huge Tech’s fightback in opposition to Congress’ antitrust plans

Absolutely charged: Electrical automobiles are rising in popularity, however they’re nonetheless constrained by how far they’re in a position to journey on a single cost—a Tesla Mannequin three can go for about 350 miles earlier than it must be recharged. In a quest to construct batteries that may take us farther safely, startup Strong Energy is working to make solid-state batteries that would pack extra vitality right into a smaller area.

Battery powered: The corporate makes battery cells that change the liquid used because the electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries with ceramic layers. This might unlock new choices for battery chemistry, probably permitting strong batteries to be swapped in. It has taken a step towards testing the expertise in automobiles, beginning up a large-scale pilot manufacturing line.

A be aware of warning: Questions stay about whether or not corporations making strong electrolytes will have the ability to produce them on a big scale. Inorganic supplies will be brittle and could also be tough to maneuver throughout manufacturing. One other concern about strong batteries is how nicely they will face up to degradation over time. Read the full story.

—Casey Crownhart

The must-reads

I’ve combed the web to search out you at this time’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.

1 Huge Tech is spooked by Congress’ proposed crackdown
Tech giants are pulling out all of the stops to attempt to avert efforts to curb their market energy. (FT $)
+ Advocates are racing to get it over the road earlier than the midterm elections. (CNBC)
+ What does breaking apart Huge Tech actually imply? (MIT Technology Review)

2 The largest NFT market is going through a reckoning
OpenSea is having to pay out huge sums of cash to settle claims of theft and plagiarism. (NYT $) 
+ The voice of the crypto naysayers is getting louder. (WP $)
+ Why this crypto crash feels completely different to these earlier than it. (The Guardian)
+ Japan has turn into one of many first international locations to introduce a authorized framework round stablecoins. (Bloomberg $)
+ The obsession with web3 isn’t with out casualties. (Motherboard)

three One in all America’s greatest child method vegetation has restarted manufacturing
Excellent news for fogeys and caregivers grappling with widespread shortages. (BBC)
+ The FDA is going through an investigation into its dealing with of the scarcity. (NPR)
+ The infant method scarcity has birthed a shady on-line market. (MIT Technology Review)

four Migrants are documenting harmful journeys to Europe on TikTok
Social media platforms and EU lawmakers are at loggerheads over unlawful migration content material. (Rest of World)

5 You possibly can count on to to get reinfected with covid
It’s probably we’ll want extra, and higher, vaccines. (Wired $)