Batteries for Electric Cars Now Demand More Cobalt Than Phones

Cobalt is a problem material and it’s one that lithium-ion batteries can use a lot of. As EV factory production ramps up for nearly all automakers, EVs have become the main driver of demand for cobalt, surpassing smartphones, which also rely on the metal.Mobile devices have driven demand for cobalt until now because lots of little batteries still need a cathode and anode in each one. A phone battery doesn’t need anywhere near as many materials as an electric or hybrid car battery, but on the other hand, there is a hell of a lot more phones getting made so the difference was about volume. There are about 15 billion mobile devices in the world, compared to 7.2 million electric cars.With rising demand, there’s rising competition for cobalt. The Financial Times reports that 176,370 tons of cobalt were produced in 2021. However, global demand last year required 192,904 tons, already…

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