Vehicle manufacturers ‘obsessed’ about raw materials

As the world demand for battery metals continues to rise, vehicle manufacturers are growing increasingly obsessed about raw minerals. According to Ted J Miller, senior manager for energy storage strategy and research at Ford, battery technology is developing fast which is leading to increased questions over the support available to meet 
that demand “As car manufacturers we are asking questions like is there enough cobalt or lithium?” he said. “And if there is enough where is it coming from? The sources for these metals  are becoming more complicated to tap and that means it is more expensive. What is the impact of increased mining costs going to be on our final product and our customers?”
He said one of the major shortcomings of lithium ion technology was its recovery. “The challenge since the advent of vehicle electrification has been how we ensure all the batteries come back for recycling so that we can reclaim the materials – and that includes the cobalt, nickel, copper and platinum.” He said besides the cost factors involved in mining for minerals like cobalt in
countries like the DRC, this was also an environmental responsibility. “It is not just about the economic impact, but also about reducing carbon footprint as much as possible.” He said at Ford meticulous records were kept of how much metal was used to manufacture a vehicle. “We are very aware of how much nickel we use,” he said. “The same goes for cobalt
where we also ensure there is at all times a verifiable chain of ethics from mine production to vehicle production processes. In the case of cobalt, it is still a seedling project for us but we are very aware of the risks and that we need to be doing the right thing.” He said vehicle manufacturers recognised  that when it came to cobalt  and lithium they still had a  lot to learn.