Will lithium be the next stranglehold, as petroleum has become today? Will countries rich in lithium ore act as petroleum rich countries do today?
The gist, we need to be careful how much faith we put on lithium if some of it come from countries that are not very friendly. It might defeat the whole point of loosening the stranglehold from hostile countries selling petroleum in the first place.
Bolivia’s Lithium. According to NilesStar, 50% of the world’s supply of lithium is in the salt-flats of Bolivia. The problem is the same geo-political intrigues as in the petroleum world, Bolivia is aligned with Venezuela and Cuba that sees the U.S. as enemies.
Chile, The Other Lithium Resource. Chile is another country rich with lithium deposits and is currently the leading lithium metal producer in the world, with Argentina next, and the U.S., according to Wikipedia. Another country that is emerging as a potential big player is China who is also starting to use the metal for its own EVs and HEVs.
News from GreenCarCongress is estimating the lithium industry could be hit by the recession and be pushed into oversupply. It would make sense to start looking actively for deposits in less fragile countries to export to the world. Another solution is to altogether look for another source of energy storage, either through new minerals or the promise of different innovation in the form of foam packs, etc. No matter, geo-political power striuggles could play a big role in the early adoption of electric cars.