Peak Lithium? Fohgeddaboutit
Some folks are convinced that EVs are taking over the world. So convinced they are that they are already publicly worried about peak Lithium. Lithium is found in unstable places. An internal Pentagon memo states that Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” writes the New York Times. Then there are distressing news that countries like Chile, Bolivia and China sit on piles of lithium. Should we be worried? Nein, says a study from Germany.
The Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung in Germany published a study that says that there is enough known lithium to power 10 billion cars. The world produces around 60m cars a year. If all of them would be EVs (and they won’t), then we have enough lithium for 166 years. And a few cell phones. Currently, most of the lithium is used to make glass or ceramics. Batteries come second. There will be enough lithium to go around, and around , and around.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Umm, famous last words. Everyone thought we would have oil forever too. 166 years isn't that long, in fact its bound to be shorter then oil will last. Not to mention that there is no way of knowing whether we will increase the number of vehicles we produce, or the number of devices it will be used in. It seems like we would be just as reliant on a finite resource (that appears to be even more finite then oil). Human FAIL. In other words, I would take the exact opposite stance on this. Lithium is not a solution, obviously.
Dear Bertel: Chile is not an unstable place. Far from it. We are sit over a pile of lithium though. Bolivia has bigger reserves, but the socialist goverment do not want foreign investment. Come to Chile, invest here.
wmba: Are you from this long and thin string of earth?
To quote 1996MEdition: 'The sun is about halfway through its 10 billion year life cycle so I guess solar is out too.' Does that mean we've already reached 'Peak Solar'? :)