Converting the entire current fleet of cars in the United States alone to electric vehicles would require three times more lithium than exists on Earth. This was reported in a study, which also warns of other problems that the country would face, such as increased environmental damage or international tensions arising from increased demand for the mineral, which is mainly extracted outside the U.S.
The study was conducted by the University of California, Davis and the Climate and Community Project. Entitled Achieving Zero Emissions with More Mobility and Less Mining, the researchers proposed greater use of public transportation, denser urban development, and micromobility solutions such as electric bicycles and scooters.
Battery recycling
These initiatives, along with the recycling of lithium batteries, would reduce the demand for the precious metal. "Any of those changes would be a net positive, all of them would be transformative," said Thea Riofrancos, a political scientist at Providence College who worked on the report.
At present, world lithium production is just over 100,000 tons per year. According to the researchers, if transportation infrastructure does not change significantly and electric vehicle batteries remain the same size as they are today, the US alone would need 306,000 tons per year in 2050.
Research and increase in lithium production
However, the scientists presented two other hypothetical scenarios. In the worst-case scenario, in which the current mode of movement is maintained and batteries increase in size, U.S. consumption could reach 483,000 tons by that date. In the most optimistic scenario, domestic lithium demand could be reduced by more than 90% compared to the previous scenario. To achieve this reduction, a significant increase in the use of public transport would be essential, as well as the substitution of private car travel in favor of walking, bicycles and scooters. There would also have to be a shift towards denser communities, in addition to a large majority of batteries being recycled at the end of their useful life.
To meet these challenges, two types of innovation are taking place on a global scale. For one, the automotive industry is investing considerable amounts of money in the development of smaller batteries with greater energy storage capacity. Efforts are also being made to increase world lithium production and to look for new veins where new mines can be opened to extract the material.
New lithium mine in Nevada?
There is only one lithium mine in the U.S. at present, although the Biden administration last month offered a $700 million conditional loan guarantee for a facility that would process lithium from a southwestern Nevada mine. However, the project is still in its early stages, having to produce an environmental impact report for the area, which is rich in Tiehm's buckwheat, a yellow wildflower that the Fish and Wildlife Service has just added to the endangered species list. There have already been protests from locals because it is the only place where the plant grows.
