Sodium-ion batteries have started to appear in cars and home storage

Very interesting. I've been thinking for the past few years that new battery technology is really what will be the catalyst for the next generation of technology across all industries. I'm curious about their use in smaller consumer electronics, or if lithium will still be the standard for many more years to come.

Ideally they will be used in personal electronics as sodium chloride solid state (SCSS) batteries are far safer and not going to explode or cause a run-away fire.

They also don't need some "critical" minerals such as graphite, cobalt and nickel.

graphite is rather abundant and easily synthesized, is it not?

He must mean lithium?

I guess it depends on your perspective. If you're Chinese, graphite is abundant and available as 98% of processing currently occurs in China. Lithium, not so much which is why it is Chinese firms leading development of sodium ion battery technology.

As with the rare earth minerals, the supply of graphite, cobalt and nickel is vulnerable hence the designation as critical minerals by Western Governments.