Batteries for EVs

[Brian Ellis]

According to this report, there could be insufficient lithium to meet the demand for batteries. This could counter the price reductions from economy of scale.

Mitsubishi, which plans to release its own electric car soon, estimates that the demand for lithium will outstrip supply in less than 10 years unless new sources are found...

"The demand for lithium won't double but increase by five times," ...

To begin with the pilot plant will produce no more than 1.2 kilotonnes a year.

If an industrial plant is then built it may increase to around 30 kilotonnes by 2012, - thats just under a third of current production.

But most lithium now goes to small batteries for electronic goods.

Car batteries are far larger and Mitsubishi estimates the world will need 500 kilotonnes a year just to service a niche market. For electric cars to become the norm, it could need far more.

Mitsubishi predicts that there will be a supply shortage by 2015.

When will we reach Peak Lithium? Will we see a lithium cartel, run by the Bolivians?

Edit: The same theme is found in Wikipedia's article on lithium:

There are widespread hopes of using lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles, but one study concluded that "realistically achievable lithium carbonate production will be sufficient for only a small fraction of future PHEV and EV global market requirements"

[rylan]

Time to require Lithium battery recycling?

I see an awful lot of those lithium AA batteries, along with LiIon rechargable batteries getting tossed in the trash.

[VJ]

Urban mining?
(getting resources from regular trash, currently gaining more momentum in Japan)

Strange that storing electricity is so difficult... In that aspect, hydrogen might be an interesting storage alternative (but still loosing quite a lot of electricity).


Jörg

[Brian Ellis]

Time to require Lithium battery recycling?

I see an awful lot of those lithium AA batteries, along with LiIon rechargable batteries getting tossed in the trash.

In Europe, they are theoretically recycled, by regulation. Most shops have collection points for all types of battery.

OTOH, they could do better on reliability. When I bought the Nikon digicam, a year or so ago, I also bought a spare battery of unknown make. I've been careful about charging/discharging it, the same as the original one. The Nikon one is still going strong, the other one has already rendered its soul to its maker (or, at least, its recycler!). If I buy horrendously expensive Li-ion batteries, I want a reasonable lifetime out of them, not just a year of light usage.

If a car gives you, say 100 km autonomy when new, what will it give after only one year? Or two, or three, or four? I hate to think, even with a super-capacitor as a surge protection.