As the world transitions away from fossil fuels and the electric vehicle market grows, competition to control a piece of a new source of energy is brewing. From rival carmakers to raw materials miners, different groups are racing to carve out their spots in the supply chain of one important technology: lithium-ion batteries. How will it shake out? The FT’s commodities correspondent Harry Dempsey explains who’s likely to succeed, and what that could mean for the future of corporate and national power. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Rival battery technologies race to dominate electric car marketThe search for winners in the new battery eraCan anyone challenge China’s EV battery dominance?- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Harry Dempsey (@harrydemps) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07)Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe now to the FT's Tech Tonic podcast: Some scientists believe that rapid advances in artificial intelligence may also hold the key to decoding animal sounds, allowing us to ‘translate’ them into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John Thornhill and series producer Persis Love explore how the same technology that powers ChatGPT is being applied to research in animal communication. Could we one day learn to ‘speak whale’ or even chat with bats? And if so, can we trust ourselves to do so responsibly?Presented by John Thornhill, produced by Persis Love, sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Critics argue Russia has a playbook for people who become its targets. On the final episode of the Russian Banker, we explore how Sergei Leontiev saw his fights with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a full-blown war in which seeking US asylum would become just another battle. But how does the US decide who deserves asylum?Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we have a bonus episode for you, live from the FT Weekend Festival in London. Michela sat down with two experts on Arm, the British chip designer, to discuss its imminent initial public offering. Tim Bradshaw, the FT’s global tech correspondent and James Ashton, author of The Everything Blueprint, talk about where Arm stands as a company, and what its chances for growth are when it goes public later this month. This conversation was recorded on September 2, 2023. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Arm searches for growth beyond smartphonesArm: IPO valuation climb down does not go far enoughSoftBank seeks to build investment war chest on back of Arm IPOWhen SoftBank is selling, why are you buying?- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On Twitter, follow Tim Bradshaw (@tim) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sergei Leontiev says he was a political victim of the Putin regime. But when we tracked down other people who used to work at the bank they had a different story about Leontiev — and the extent of his ties to Alexei Navalny.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.