The age of electric car skepticism is over. Because there’s not a single manufacturer left without a serious investment in the new technology. We have our sights set firmly on the future. A future in which electricity seizes its rightful place in transport. Now the battle lines have moved on to the fight over scarce electric car battery materials.
The Battle for Scarce Electric Car Battery Materials
Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly released a report on the situation in Germany on 26 November 2017. German car makers are on the hunt to secure access to raw electric car battery materials. Are they planning to manufacture their own? Only time will tell.
The Federation of German Industries BDI warned, “The risk of running into bottlenecks in raw material supply is increasing because demand is growing faster than production capacity. Without sufficient supplies for instance of cobalt, graphite, lithium, or manganese there won’t be any future technology ‘made in Germany’.” But all this wealth comes at tremendous cost as this video reveals. This is not for sensitive viewers …
Famous Names Leading the Pack
Volkswagen has avowed its intention to challenge Tesla turf by 2022 in terms of electric cars produced. It has a budget of €34 billion to fund this. Moreover, Mercedes will have a full stable of electric versions by then too. While BMW says it will have 12 fully electric models by 2025.
This massive demand surge will put increasing strains on cobalt, graphite, vanadium, lithium, and manganese supply chains. Because it can take a decade for new mines to reach full production, and planning schedules are tight. Thus, prices could soar due to imbalances in supply and demand.
Inevitably, the environment will suffer. Many of these scarce resources are in third world countries off the beaten tourist track. We posted an article six months ago regarding the environmental dangers associated with the green revolution. Will the world turn a blind eye to these injustices again?
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Preview Image: Raw Cobalt Chips
Video Share Link: Congo Cobalt Mining
