Everyone Is NOW Worried About What We Pointed Out YEARS Ago - There Is A Shortage Of Raw Materials To Make Batteries

Key players in battery production, particularly automakers, from North America to Europe are becoming increasingly concerned about future shortages of key materials needed for electric vehicle batteries as production soars, according to an Australian supplier.

Clean TeQ Holdings, the developer of the Sunrise nickel-cobalt-scandium project in Australia, says more than a dozen parties have now expressed interest in taking up as much as a 50 percent stake in the project, CEO Sam Riggall said Monday in an interview. They include companies in regions that until recently had shown less impetus to tie up raw material supplies.

SanJoseDriver - 7/8/2019 5:02:06 PM

+2 Boost

There are plenty of raw materials for batteries, especially if rare earth materials are minimized. There are also ways to optimize cars so that fewer cells are needed. For example, The Model S 100D has 335 miles of range while the Model S Long Range has 370 miles of range. The battery is identical, the only change was the motor. With newer cells cutting 300 lbs and a triple motor design, you can get over 400 miles from that exact same battery. Drop the side mirrors and you can get to 420.

If companies design EVs well, there is more than enough capacity for the current demand.

Truthy - 7/8/2019 9:04:38 PM

0 Boost

You are as high as Elon. EVs account for less than 2 percent of auto sales and the Leaf and its small battery is the best selling. If EV sales grab 5 percent prices of these metals will soar.

MDarringer - 7/8/2019 10:32:19 PM

0 Boost

Dig those holes in the ground. Rape the environment for Elon!

TomM - 7/9/2019 5:26:20 PM

+2 Boost

Actually - the problem with the supplies is that as long as they have not ramped up capacity and increased production - the cost of these materials stay high. It was projected that the cost of Lithium would drop quite a bit - it is actually going up fairly rapidly.

WE still do not know what recurring demand will be for EVs. Current demand fails to predict the future. We do know that the higher priced TEsla cars have had their demand drop off. And we really do not have any vehicles in the lowest price classes yet.WHo knows - it may have already peaked!

SanJoseDriver - 7/21/2019 3:44:03 PM

+1 Boost

Demand has not dropped off as last quarter's Tesla sales have shown.