Research & public-interest advocacy
Europe’s
transition.
At whose cost?
The battery revolution is reshaping our industries, our environment and our dependence on the world. It deserves a closer look.
Read the lead dossier
German positions in Volkswagen’s
workforce reduction plan to 2030.
Lead automotive battery collection
and recycling in studied European markets.
The central question
Europe needs a battery strategy
with more than one chemistry.
Lithium is part of the transition. It should not be exempt from scrutiny. We examine the industrial trade-offs, the extraction footprint and the safety record—and make the case for a larger role for proven material recovery, including lead batteries in suitable applications.
Our perspective01 / The research programme
Six dossiers. One necessary debate.
Europe’s industrial squeeze
The transition is also a contest over factories, skills and who captures the value of the next car.
The battery balance of power
China’s scale brings cheaper batteries—and a strategic dependency Europe cannot price by the kilowatt-hour alone.
The carbon ledger
An electric car has no exhaust emissions. Its battery still has a mine, a factory and an electricity bill behind it.
Fire, evidence and consequence
The consequences can be severe. A serious safety case starts by establishing what actually burned—and why.
The lead-battery loop
Europe already has a battery circularity story. It deserves attention, investment and an honest account of its limits.
The terms of a fair transition
Lower emissions, fair competition and industrial resilience should be judged together. Europe needs a policy that can do all three.
02 / The circularity question
An old chemistry.
A relevant future.
Lead batteries demonstrate what an established recovery system can achieve. The next step is to measure the whole loop: collection, recovery, recycled content and safe processing.
Explore the battery comparisonA high recycling rate is not the same as zero impact.
03 / The incident register
When risk becomes reality.
04 / Briefings & updates
The evidence, in context.
The battery map is still highly concentrated
What the latest IEA outlook changes—and what Europe should measure next.
29 September 2026 Trade policy recordA price undertaking complicates the “Europe versus China” story
The Commission’s CUPRA Tavascan decision is a reminder to separate brand ownership from manufacturing origin.
10 February 2026 Safety investigationThe battery cargo, the lashings and the fire
The NTSB’s Genius Star XI findings show why the details of an incident matter.
18 December 2025Follow the argument.
Then follow the sources.