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Geologically, yes. As for actual availability, it would take the world's entire supply of Lithium produced per year, just to allow for half of new cars sold in
by gjsman-1000 3y ago
Geologically, yes.
As for actual availability, it would take the world's entire supply of Lithium produced per year, just to allow for half of new cars sold in the US alone be electric. That's how far behind our Lithium mining is, and as your own article says, scaling that out without environmental disasters or human rights abuses will be a challenge (and, potentially, infeasible).
- bryanlarsen 3y agoThere were 6 million EV's sold in China in 2022. There were only 3 million gasoline vehicles sold in the US in 2022 so there is obviously enough Lithium refinery capacity for the entire US market at least.
- gjsman-1000 3y agoWrong. “It is estimated that the U.S. alone will need 500,000 metric tons per year of unrefined lithium by 2034 just to power EVs. The U.S. produces just a fraction of that today. The current global production of lithium in 2020 was about 440,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE, contains about 18% of pure lithium), and not all of that is in pure enough form for batteries, according to Chris Doornbos, president, and CEO of E3 Metals Corp, a lithium extraction firm located in Calgary, Canada, which plans to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide.” As he said, we are not just below the amount necessary, but much of what is produced can't meet spec. https://www.onecharge.biz/blog/u-s-role-in-global-lithium-battery-manufacturing/ https://www.onecharge.biz/blog/u-s-role-in-global-lithium-ba...
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- bryanlarsen 3y agoIn your first comment you said "the world's Lithium". Now you're saying "US produces". That's a massive difference. US production rounds to about 0% of the world's production. The vast majority is done in China, Chile and Australia.
- gjsman-1000 3y agoPoint to where because I don't see your argument. "it would take the <world's> entire supply of Lithium produced per year, just to allow for half of new cars <sold in the US> alone be electric" "It is estimated that the <U.S. alone will need 500,000 metric tons per year> of unrefined lithium by 2034 just to power EVs... <current global production> of lithium in 2020 was about 440,000 metric tons..."
- bryanlarsen 3y agoI guess you're saying that Chinese cars take < 1/8 of the Lithium that American cars would? Which implies that your source thinks the average American car will need an F-150 Lightning sized battery?
- standardUser 3y agoIt's too bad our technology for mining and battery production is permanently stuck in time, never to advance again. Otherwise, we could safely assume minor issues like this would be resolved in due time, given the neccesary investment, as countless thousands of similar issues have been resolved in the past.
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- jeffbee 3y agoOne single mine in Nevada that covers ~6000 acres, which is large but not incredible by mine standards, will more than 10x US lithium production, and will 1.5x world production, all on its own.
- gjsman-1000 3y agoNo, the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine would theoretically increase entire world production by 25% at most when running at maximum capacity. That's assuming, of course, that the indigenous tribes and environmental activists who hate the project don't win legally.