ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
Electric cars in China

Tesla wins green light in China to use cobalt-free batteries

Shift to new technology cuts costs and improves supply stability

A Tesla showroom in Shanghai in May: The electric-car brand is changing what powers its made-in-China cars.   © Reuters

BEIJING -- Tesla has received approval from China to assemble electric cars with batteries that contain an alternative to cobalt, an expensive metal whose production is linked to child labor.

The cobalt-free batteries will be used in the U.S. automaker's Model 3 vehicles, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a notice published Thursday.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more