Large bags full of powder emitted steam as they sat on the floor of Cirba Solutions’ lithium-ion battery processing facility in Lancaster, Ohio.

The powder is a material known as black mass. It’s made up of critical metals that are refined to battery-grade sulfates, which are used to make cathode materials for EV and other batteries.

Tech Brew recently toured the plant, where a $400 million expansion is in the works. We got to see the plant’s initial lithium-ion processing line, an expansion that prioritizes larger-format products like EV batteries, and under-construction buildings on the site that will help Cirba produce battery-grade sulfates and lithium carbonate equivalent in the coming years. The expanded facility, which was the first to get funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and has been awarded $82 million from the Department of Energy, is slated to produce enough recycled battery materials to power 250,000 EVs annually.

“The largest mine in the world is driving around our streets right now,” Cirba CEO David Klanecky previously told us. “And we have an opportunity to make sure that mine doesn’t go back into the ground.”

Keep reading here.—JG

Electric vehicles and hybrids appear poised to end 2024 on a high note, with buyers potentially looking to take advantage of incentives while they can.

In Q3, EVs made up nearly 9% of new-vehicle sales (they made up less than 8% in 2023). Sales are still growing, but at a slower pace than in 2023, prompting many automakers to cut back their electrification plans amid other challenging market conditions––but the numbers have still been up and to the right.

Now, there’s uncertainty about where the EV market will go in 2025, particularly given the presidential transition that promises to bring sweeping federal policy changes. While the Biden administration established numerous policies to support and incentivize electrification, President-elect Trump has vowed to end the “EV mandate.” As Tech Brew previously reported, this could mean changes like killing a consumer tax credit of up to $7,500 on EV purchases, a move that’s likely to boost EV sales in the near term as consumers scramble to take advantage of the incentive before it disappears, but could slow adoption in the coming years.

At least for now, however, electrified vehicle sales are still on the climb, according to industry reports.

Keep reading here.—JG

While it may feel like everyone is glued to their screens and scrolling constantly, a new report shows that we shouldn’t take internet access for granted.

In the latest installment of its Facts and Figures report, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) states that in low income countries, only 27% of people have internet access, compared to 93% in high-income countries. The ITU is the United Nations’ digital technology agency.

Broken down by continent, about 90% of the populations of North America, South America, and Europe have internet access. But in Africa, an average of only 38% of people are online.

In a press release, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the ITU’s secretary-general, called the disparity “a tale of two digital realities between high-income and low-income countries.”

“Stark gaps in critical connectivity indicators are cutting off the most vulnerable people from online access to information, education, and employment opportunities,” Bogdan-Martin said. “This report is a reminder that true progress in our interconnected world isn’t just about how fast we move forward, but about making sure everyone moves forward together."

Keep reading here.—TC

Usually, we write about the business of tech. Here, we highlight the *tech* of tech.

AI all around: The Associated Press asks a timely question: Can AI chatbots make your holiday shopping easier? The concept here is that AI-powered chatbots can help you find the perfect gift for your difficult mother-in-law, your devoted partner, or your best friend who already seemingly has everything. The AP details the features of shopping assistants from Amazon’s Rufus to Shopify’s Shop AI, and notes that “the limitations show the technology is still in its infancy and has a long way to go before it becomes as useful as the retail industry—and many shoppers—wish it could be.”

Listen up: Speaking of AI features of questionable value, Spotify, as part of its annual Spotify Wrapped feature—which breaks down users’ annual listening trends into a shareable format and takes over Instagram Stories for a full 48 hours—added a “Wrapped AI Podcast” in partnership with Google’s NotebookLM. Two cheerful hosts “unwrap your year in music,” chirping through the stats in the Wrapped analysis and offering pedestrian commentary about the 5,893 minutes you spent listening to Taylor Swift. We’d wager you can skip the AI podcast and just play your No. 1 song again: “Hey, Siri? Play ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?’”