Lithium shortages could hand salt a starring role in EV shift30 Jun 2023 16:48
Carmakers who faced skyrocketing prices for lithium and other battery metals last year could increasingly adopt sodium-based cells in the future, helping to alleviate strains on raw materials as sales of electric vehicles surge, according to BloombergNEF.
In a new analysis of the technology, BloombergNEF said it expects sodium to take market share from the cheapest, lowest-range end of the car market in China, and that by 2035 it could displace about 272,000 tons of demand for lithium. That is projected to account for about 7% of the overall market that year. If protracted lithium shortages emerge, the switch could be much more aggressive, BNEF said in the report published Thursday.
“Sodium-ion batteries are an alternative technology that can release some pressure on lithium’s complex and growing supply chain,” BloombergNEF analysts said in the report. “While the relative share of sodium-ion in the base case may look small, the absolute growth is very significant, which is a consequence of how quickly the whole market is growing.”
https://www.mining.com/web/lithium-shortages-could-hand-salt-a-starring-role-in-ev-shift/