Is there enough lithium for all the batteriesFear and doubt agents try to spread rumors, there is not enough lithium for the production of electric cars.Details and statistics about lithium from USGS.org 2008 had been worldwide 27400 tons lithium produced. The worldwide reserves are 13 million tons. This means at this time a range of 474 years. A very high range, it's only 63 years at cooper. At the other end of the scale is indium. Best You see about this all the yearly reports about indium.
Divide 13 million tons by 46 g lithium required for 1 kW battery capacity. This gives the unhandy huge number 289 TWh battery capacity. To have a better imagination about the number, divide by 8 billion people. This gives 36 kWh. Each human can have from the current lithium reseve base 36 kWh batteries. This is by far enough for a high living standard for all humanity.
The production has to be increased. To delier every year for 70 million plug-in hybrid and electric cars 21 kWh batteries -1 kg lithium, 70,000 tons more yearly production is required. This increase should be possible until 2017. See about this the PEGE prognosis about electric cars in Germany
The new discoverd deposit can deliver starting 2011 10,000 to 12,000 tons per year. Enough for 10 to 12 million electric cars per year. |
