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Fleeing: Media is urged to stop calling white South Africans who relocated to United States ‘refugees’.

SA’s moral, technical high ground upends unipolar narrative

The “white genocide” narrative works inside this wider machinery. It racialises South Africa’s internal contradictions for foreign consumption. It turns a country struggling with…

The Stellenbosch University team’s journey from Nairobi to Stellenbosch was a practical demonstration that locally made electric motorbikes, powered by solar energy, could work across African roads and real African conditions.

Africa’s electric motorbike future can be built locally and powered by solar — our 6000km ride shows what’s possible

For millions of people on the continent, motorcycles provide the most affordable and accessible form of transport, while also creating livelihoods for riders and small businesses

Lithium mines in Zimbabwe’s communal areas deprive people of their land rights, grazing land and water. Photo: Madelene Cronjé

Mining of critical minerals tramples grazing and water rights in Zimbabwe

Laws exist to protect the environment and people, but these are not enforced regarding mining, in particular lithium

(File photo by Tafadzwa Ufumeli/Getty Images)

Only a Pan-African industrial policy on critical minerals for renewable will unlock prosperity

African countries must avoid the mistakes of the fossil-fuel industrial revolution; the mining of cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel and copper must be based on equity, human…

Lead legacy: research shows that lead, a base metal used for making car batteries, still contaminates Zambian towns years after mines are closed down. Photo: Human Rights Watch

Zambia tallies the costs of mining for electric batteries

Still reeling from environmental and public health problems caused by lead mining 30 years ago, the country now faces growing manganese demand for electric batteries

South Africa needs to change its top-down approach, consult communities and fast track the delayed Integrated Energy Plan

Luxuries sacrificed as consumers shift to energy alternatives

Investing in alternative energy results in the middle class cutting out luxuries to pay off debt

Powering up: The construction site of the new Tesla giga factory near Grünheide, Germany. Tesla is planning to begin electric-car production at the site by the summer of 2021. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Tesla cuts battery costs on road to cheaper model

The car manufacturer is betting on lowering battery costs to bring down the price of its electric vehicles

Eskom: Switch off now or we’ll load shed

How to stop load-shedding, fast

COMMENT: The rapid roll-out of small-scale solar power will reduce pressure on the grid and and boost SMME sector

“Lithium batteries have revolutionised our lives since they first entered the market in 1991

US-UK-Japan trio win chemistry Nobel for lithium-ion battery

The trio will receive the prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony in Stockholm on December 10

“Lithium batteries have revolutionised our lives since they first entered the market in 1991

Explainer: Why lithium-ion batteries could be a game changer in Africa

High-quality Li-ion batteries could help the continent optimise renewable energy

Creative spark: Professor John Cushman and others have found a way to recharge car batteries quickly at petrol stations.

New car battery promises instant recharging

The Ifbattery only has three people working on it and needs funding.

So you’ve seized power and are struggling to keep it. What now?

Smart storage is the future. Here are some cool tips to generate and store energy on a small scale.

Powerwall battery jump-starts revolution

The Powerwall is still too expensive in South Africa for widespread use, but it heralds big changes to come in energy storage.

Elon Musk. (File photo)

Don’t be left in the dark – plug your home into a battery

Elon Musk thinks batteries suck, but this didn’t stop his customers from buying the entire supply of the Tesla Powerwall in a matter of days.

Brave new world: Bioinformatics is increasingly used by agricultural research laboratories

New battery for smartphones can be charged in a minute

A team led by Prof Hongjie Dai at Stanford University made a breakthrough by accidentally discovering that graphite made a good partner to aluminium.

Gadget charger harnesses walking power

A United States company has come up with a baton-shaped device that charges gadgets using power generated by walking, hiking or running.

Powered to recharge

South Africa plugs into the environmental benefits of rechargeable batteries, writes Yolandi Groenewald.