Part of the appeal of the late, unlamented Joule electric car was the spin-off technology that could leverage the project’s anticipated success. Excitedly, the Industrial Development Corporation’s department for ‘high-impact strategic projects’ embarked on a feasibility study for producing lithium-ion batteries in great numbers.

Batteries are not the most sexy of technologies, but the idea is not unsound. It is an area where breakthroughs are sorely needed, and will pay off handsomely. However, handsome payoffs come with terrifying risks.