RE: Not Gunna Be Enough Lithium21 Aug 2018 09:14
Lithium Demand Is Staying High
A few points to support that idea:
EV's will require massive amounts of lithium compared to historic uses such as camera and hearing aid batteries.The Tesla Model S battery pack, for instance, requires 63 kg of lithium.
Fleet and municipal buyers are important. Electric bus sales are growing 33% a year. 30 US cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland municipal governments have agreed to start a partnership to mass-purchase EVs for their public vehicle fleets. That includes passenger cars, police cruisers, street sweepers and trash haulers.
National energy programs will also drive lithium demand. Britain and France will ban sales of gas-powered cars after 2040; India draws the line at 2030. Norway wants all new cars sold to be EVs by 2025. China continues to work toward a timetable, but it will be aggressive
SQM a major lithium miner in Chile, predicts demand will grow 80% a year—SQM does not benefit from encouraging new supply, which lends that prediction a lot more credibility.