There is a debate about how much lithium is available on earth, and how long it will last. After reading this article from The Daily Green, I’m skeptical. An optimistic CEO from a company that sells electric car batteries offers the following thoughts:
I’ve seen some negative reports saying the world is in danger of running out, but I don’t think that’s a productive notion. The amount of lithium in a lithium-ion battery is very low when compared to other substances — it’s three to four percent of our costs for materials. When I look at all the things to worry about for battery cars, lithium supply does not make the list. There’s not likely to be a problem until 2020 at the earliest.
2020 at the earliest? That sounds soon to me, especially given the interest of countries like France, Spain, and Australia in electric cars, and not to mention the U.S., especially now that a very powerful person by the name of Barack Obama has voiced great belief in an electric car future and wants to provide billions to research battery technology as part of the much discussed economic stimulus package.
Even if lithium is available more readily than some people think, is it also possible that while the developed world would lose much of its dependence on oil, it would simply become dependent on lithium instead? Would some people hate Bolivia, and even start to complain that we need to “end our dependence on lithium from Bolivia?”
Even though the price of lithium might only be 3-4% of a battery’s cost, it is called a lithium battery right? It’s a pretty important battery component, correct?
So call me a pessimist in regard to lithium’s longevity– which brings us to a final topic.
Improved.
Look no further than the cash reserve increases Bolivia has since Morales took over.
Bolivia has put their foot down and drawn the line. They are more than willing to do deals, however, they are no longer willing to be taken lightly. Previous Bolivian governments has raided the country coffers.
As far as the govt being unstable. Well, be definition this can be disputed. But, what can not be disputed is that small developing nations with rich natural resources are waking up and starting to capitalize.
Don’t wait too much Bolivia. One thing is that it took 100 years to change from Petroleum to Electricity. But you can be sure that in less than 5 years, alternatives to Lithium will be available for batteries and ultracapacitators. You only have to see the index of evolution of the Rechargable Batteries in the last 10 years (when only the “walkman” needed recharegable batteries) ;-D
Now “all” uses batteries: laptops, MP3, DECT Phones, Mobile Phones, Teethbrushers!!!! and now CARS!
As high the price of Lithium maintains, as soon new batteries with new materials will be developed for cheap.
So Bolivia, get the money for the people, but start to mine Lithium now before its price drop.
Levy should read the Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein, who spent a lot of time researching the events and players that gave rise to what is happening in South America today. He’ll get a better understanding of the past 40 year history of the region and hopefully see things more clearly. So many people go on about “Morales thinks this”, “Chavez believes that”, all getting their news from the NY Times and other sausage factories. Try a book once in a while.
Dear quasimojo,
Thanks for the suggestion to read Shock Doctrine. I’ve googled it and will definitely try to read it as I think its thesis is interesting in regard to the reasons why free-market forces and policies have been adopted in so many countries.
As someone who lives in Peru, I actually get a lot of my news from South American sources, and I also happen to think that the NY Times is a pretty good periodical. But I recognize that there are many sides to a story and that my knowledge can also grow, and that my opinions can always change.
Since your skill as a reader seems quite adept, might I politely suggest that you check how you spelled my name and check where some of the links in the article will lead you.
Thanks for your comment.
Levi
EV resource naysayers need to tone it down. There’s enough: lithium, electricity, plug-ins, etc.. The problem is getting auto/oil interests out of the way so EVs can be made on a commercial, economical scale.
If EV resources are actually a problem with an EV mass market years from now – the market will adjust with different, better, newer technologies at that time.
I have studied environmental issues for a couple years and i always get the same feeling; either people don’t understand the science of global warming or there care for other environmental factors blind them. Ok so a few people in Bolivia will suffer heath problems but what about future generations of children that wont have an earth that functions poorly.
Morales is just doing what countless dictators have done before him. He is raping the country blind. While he fiddles, those who have actually provided jobs are bailing out of the country, with the actual capital to make Bolivia a strong country.
I am afraid that Bolivia is too unstable to be able to get a clean gain from their resource. It is more likely that resource they have will become cause of conflicts and corruption.
obviously improved
Lithium will never be a problem. It may reach a significant proportion of the cost of the battery, but that will probably be because other parts got cheaper, not because lithium got expensive. Besides, my diamond cutting blade has DIAMONDS in it, and is still cheap becuase it doesn’t have a lot of them, just as lithium batteries don’t have a lot of lithium. PLUS, lithium can be recycled. Other technologies (e.g. ultra-high capacity capacitors, high-yield plastic solar cells…) will take over soon anyway…
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As a Bolivian living in the United States.
i think Evo Morales has done some good things in the country, he has accumulated a good amount of money in the reserves of the country which is good.
i think he is done good on the respect of nationalizing
the natural resources, many governments before him had taken bribes for permits to extract natural resources in Bolivia, not only lithium but gold,iron,silver,to name some.
To me people is naive in other countries like the USA that think that this super powers become rich because of the technological advancement,i can say not because without natural resources technology would not be possible in any respect like some people already lithium is the now material for batteries tomorrow may be another material. but not for that Bolivia should sell lithium for a cheap price, beside i think that Bolivia should not sell it at all just because of the environmental and health problems ,besides Bolivia could just become rich by selling agricultural product
cos it has a very fertile land. like just few countries in south america.
most of the countries in Europe can produce enough food to sustain their own population and most of their land is unfertile and it can only produce seasonally.
i would not worry much about what i am going to be driving in ten years, i should worry about more of what i am going to be eating in ten years.
that i think is the biggest problem this days, specially for those countries that can not produce enough food for its population.
i think that is the big concern of the big countries more than anything and as petroleum is becoming more
scares they are looking for new ways to transport goods to them.
in conclusion if Bolivia agrees to sell this mineral The companies that want the mineral should mine it with top technology cover all the risks of mining clean the place from any harmful waste after done mining. bring the factories in which the batteries are going to be made. so the countries that want the batteries can buy the final product not just the mineral. and of course they would have to higher only Bolivian workers and engineers with all the benefits
and of course they will be allowed to bring specialize personal to train the Bolivian personal. but for only that reason.
And answering to those who say that the companies that are in Bolivia and that now are leaving were making it rich that is not true. this companies only care about making money they do not even care about you my friend
while people here in the USA can’t a forth anything
the people that own this companies are getting richer and richer by stilling the natural resources or buying it in very low prices from countries like Bolivia and then turn that resource into something and sell it to you for a high price when they got it almost free.
and that is what happens with food also my friend.
i am traveling to bolivia in two weeks and will see what i can find out-
Levi, you bring up some interesting points, and I am glad that you wrote this article and that I got the chance to read it.
I don’t know the first thing about international relations, but if I were Bolivia, I would be trying to partner with auto companies to have battery and car factories in Bolivia, as well as have the auto companies help fund higher education engineering programs and provide design jobs for Bolivians. A larger portion of the production process means more profit, more jobs, etc. The only problem is that what happens if the auto companies find a better battery-making process without lithium, and pull the rug out from under Bolivia? The other looming problem is the ecological one.
In response to Brian K, I think you either don’t understand racism and privilege, or you’re to conceited to care. First of all is your characterization, “a few people in Bolivia will suffer heath problems”. We’re not talking about a few people, we are talking about an entire population of human beings, people, people with families and dreams and desires, like you. They are just as important, if not more important, than your imagined great grandchild. Furthermore, most of these electric cars aren’t going to be driven by Bolivians, they are going to be driven by people in the U.S. and other developed countries. The same countries that, surprise surprise, contribute to global warming the most. Electric cars, as long as the run off coal-powered electricity, will continue to emit greenhouse gases. Cars, electric or not, will continue to encourage development and environmental devastation. It’s absolutely ABSURD to think the health effects of mining lithium are inconsequential compared to your desire to drive a car and feel good about it. Global warming is a problem deeply entwined with industralization, capitalism, and imperialism, and therefore industrialists, capitalists, and imperialists need to foot the blame and get to making things right, instead of pawning it off on a poor country which has barely contributed to GW. You care about global warming so much that you don’t care if we degrade the lives of an impoverished nation of people even more? Then why don’t you make a little self sacrifice, and stop driving cars altogether… or what is it that you do that makes it important for you to drive cars, again?
Lastly, I’d like to mention that li-ion batteries are not the only type of batteries. We often forget NiMH batteries, because they have been suppressed by oil companies so strongly. NiMH batteries also use rare earth components, but they are worth considering. They are a fraction of the cost of lithium-ions, and they have proven to be reliable batteries (some RAV4-EVs still driving on the same NiMH battery pack 120K+ miles). To learn more about them, I suggest the book “Two Cents Per Mile” by Nevres Cefo ( http://www.twocentspermile.com and http://bit.ly/2centspermile )
Surprisingly enough, the batteries for the EV-1, the ones Mobile bought the patents for and promptly buried, were not Lithium batteries anyway! Look to Depleted Uranium batteries, alive and well in the U.S.Navy Labs and revealed on the web momentarily by a patriot until totally suppressed, into obscurity – apparently “Super Batteries? And the BYD batteries, just as good! And South Korean Fe, hydroxide batteries, renowned, and once to go into the Volt? The battery questions have hardly been asked. It is far too soon to speculate about Lithium supplies, and American prospectors haven’t done much yet either! Expect computer driven Science and research to change this picture soon anyway! Oil is dead, because we know we can do better, now watch the Scientific papers of the day to see how!
well, speaking of the benefits electric cars would give to the public as well as to the environment, this is really advantageous. But how about the auto makers out there, how will they survive without fuel operated ones? Of course, the sales would probably decreased though drivers would yet look for replacement parts ( alternator, distributor, bumpers) etc.