Raw material demand for electric vehicles will triple by 2050 finds Ritsumeikan University researchers
Publish date: 2024-06-25
With goals to limit CO2 emissions, many countries have set targets to phase out internal combustion vehicles in favour of electric vehicles (EVs). Japan has set a target for 20-30 percent of all car sales to be battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and 30-40 percent of car sales to be hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) by 2030. The USA plans for 50 percent of new vehicles to be zero-emission by 2030, while Germany wants to have 15 million EVs on the road by 2030.
These goals raise concerns about the raw material demand for EVs. Batteries, which account for 50 percent of all resources consumed in BEV production, require several minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite. However, current estimates of resource demand underestimate total mineral demand as they do not account for resource demand needed for battery replacement during the vehicle’s lifetime and increasing battery capacities.
These goals raise concerns about the raw material demand for EVs. Batteries, which account for 50 percent of all resources consumed in BEV production, require several minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite. However, current estimates of resource demand underestimate total mineral demand as they do not account for resource demand needed for battery replacement during the vehicle’s lifetime and increasing battery capacities.
Source: Renewable Energy Magazine
