Everyone Wants EVs, But Where Will the Metals Come From?

With the runaway success of Tesla and the rapid rollout of competing electric vehicle models from major automakers, the switch away from fossil fuels and transportation seems a certainty. The automotive technology is in place, as is the tech needed to safely charge the vehicles at home and on the road.

However, electric vehicles—particularly EV batteries—are different with respect to material inputs compared to internal combustion engine cars and trucks. In particular, lithium, cobalt and nickel are in high demand, and it’s unclear where supplies of these vital minerals will come from, and if there is enough worldwide at reasonable prices to drive the electric vehicle transition in the time frames required to meet climate change goals. What if this turns out to be impossible?

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