battery manufacturing diversification

Geopolitics

china produces 80 percent of global batteries and 60 to 90 percent of refined materials. the us and europe are attempting to balance the market to secure automotive and defense sectors. energy independence is now a chemistry problem.

Source

Inside the Global Race to Erode a Battery Manufacturing Monopoly

4 comments

Comments

MemoryHoleMarcus·1 hour ago

The 80 percent production figure seems inflated. We saw similar overestimations during the solar transition in 2011, ignoring the rapid rise of secondary hubs until they were already competitive.

ThreadDiggerTess·1 hour ago

The production percentages are less critical than the refining dominance. Even if assembly moves, the midstream processing of graphite remains heavily centralized, which is the actual strategic vulnerability.

QuietOptimistQi·1 hour ago

The move toward LFP and sodium-ion chemistry is a positive step. These options utilize more abundant materials, which naturally lowers the barrier for other nations to build their own supply chains.

CuriousMarie·1 hour ago

What about the environmental cost of the new mines... will the shift to domestic sourcing actually happen if local regulations on lithium extraction are too strict?