Lecture on Electric Car Industry and Battery Metals

Introduction

• Electric car industry is searching globally for battery metals: lithium, nickel, cobalt
• China, US, Europe are in a resource race
• Extracting raw materials has environmental and social costs
  • Scarred landscapes, pollution, dangerous conditions
• Combustion engines contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions
• Electric Vehicles (EVs) promise a reduction in emissions

Battery Metals Source and Impact

• EVs have 6 times more mineral content than traditional vehicles
• Battery packs contain lithium ions moving between an anode and cathode
• Changing metal mix affects car performance

Lithium

• Found in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia (the "Lithium Triangle")
• Extraction involves pumping underground brine and evaporating it
• Concerns over water usage and environmental impact
• Companies aim for "water neutrality"

Copper

• Largest producer: Chile
• Key component in EV wires and batteries
• Existing mines are nearing depletion; new mines are costly and time-consuming
• Environmental hazards associated with abandoned mines

Cobalt

• Predominantly sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
• Concerns about artisanal mining conditions, child labor, and human rights abuses
• Industrial mining encroaches on local communities

Nickel

• Largest producer: Indonesia
• Conflict with agriculture and pollution concerns
• Investment in onshore processing to improve economic gains

Deep Sea Mining

• Exploration of polymetallic nodules in the deep sea
• Environmental concerns over biodiversity and ecosystem impact
• Regulatory challenges and uncertainties

Graphite

• Mainly sourced from China
• Critical for the anode in batteries
• Sri Lanka potential supplier; faces challenges with mining practices

Environmental and Economic Implications

• EVs initially have a larger carbon footprint than combustion cars
• EVs offer lower lifecycle emissions once operational
• Consumer demand for ethical sourcing is pressurizing cleaner mining practices

Future Directions

• Emphasis on recycling and reusing battery materials
• Growth in recycling could significantly reduce demand for new mining
• Potential for a more sustainable transport ecosystem
• Electrification of transport needs to continue despite challenges

---

End of Notes