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>given the sheer tonnage of lithium, cobalt, and other raw materials needed for EV batteries, that figure is overly optimistic, suggests the mineral market anal
by mikewarot 4y ago
>given the sheer tonnage of lithium, cobalt, and other raw materials needed for EV batteries, that figure is overly optimistic, suggests the mineral market analysis company Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, unless nearly 300 new mines and supporting refineries open by then.
This is the real show stopper. We lack the supply chains necessary to replace all the cars with electric models. This simple fact should give rise to other questions about the practicality of mass conversion to electric vehicles.
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As for me, if the supply chains got fixed. I've got the cheapest house in town, with 100 amp 240 volt service. Without spending 10% the cost of the house to get a bigger utility panel, the NEMA 6-50
240 volt / 50 amp breaker option seems barely doable, so in theory I could charge a car overnight at +30 miles range/hour.[1]
[1] https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/mobile-connector https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/mob...
- timbit42 4y agoThis is why we should be focused on PHEVs, not BEVs. PHEVs use 1/10th the batteries, batteries cost 1/10th, take 1/10th the energy and time to charge, but provide electric driving for 90% of trips. If we build 10 PHEVs with the batteries it would take to build one BEV, instead of saving 100% of one vehicle's fuel usage, we could build 10 PHEVs and save 10 x 90% = 900% fuel usage.