Without a domestic supply of lithium, the "battery gold", it could be difficult for Europe's car companies to compete with China, which is rapidly expanding its electric car industry and entering the European market. China controls much of the world's lithium processing, which involves converting a concentrate extracted from brine or ore into chemical lithium compounds, such as carbonate or hydroxide, which are used in traction batteries. China will prioritize the supply of its own industry. Europe is likely to find itself in a difficult position in terms of lithium availability around 2030, predict Michael Schmidt of the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA) and Dr. Thomas Schmaltz of Fraunhofer. Europe cannot afford delays in domestic projects to extract the metal and expand battery recycling. We also talk to our experts about what supply chains for the lithium of a traction battery look like, how the raw material is mined and what percentage of Europe's needs will be met in the future.
