Volvo Trucks recently announced its first electric semi dealership in Central California, where incentives lower commercial motor vehicle costs by upward of $120,000. But the sustainability of electric vehicles remains questionable as the U.S. scrambles to mine and manufacture lithium batteries.
“It’s like the blood in your body. It’s the chemistry behind how lithium-ion batteries work. It remains the common denominator in all the battery technologies, even that we’re looking at now for next-generation batteries,” Lithium Americas CEO Jon Evans reportedly said. “So, it’s truly a critical element.”
China reportedly dominates global lithium battery production through its 93 “giga-factories.” The Asian manufacturing power has also expanded its lithium holdings to mining operations around the world. Recent reports regarding a Chinese buyout of a Canadian-based lithium operation have U.S. officials concerned.
“It was quite surprising to me to hear of this acquisition, given there’s a clear national security nexus and I would think there’s clear national security concerns,” Florida Rep. Michael Waltz reportedly said. “Not just any acquisition — but from a Chinese state-owned firm is, again, very surprising and very alarming.”
It’s no secret that the U.S. and China have emerged as economic rivals and lithium has evolved into a necessary resource. The relatively few American battery plants import almost all of their lithium. That’s largely why experts are looking at potentially vast deposits of lithium in Southern California. Research indicates that massive reserves in underground geothermal brines could put the U.S. at a competitive advantage in terms of domestic resources and semi-truck battery manufacturing.
“The lithium industry started in the U.S. and had a good run for 50 years,” Erick Neuman, international business manager at Swenson Technology, reportedly said. “We do have a lot. The challenge is, can we produce what we need at an economical and competitive price? That’s hard.”
Ironically, lithium mining started in the U.S. and reportedly led the world until the 1990s. Now, Albemarle’s Silver Peak in Nevada remains the only lithium mine operating in the country. The California Energy Commission began enlisting potential lithium extractors in 2017, awarding millions in state and federal money to buoy lithium supplies. Now, three companies are forging a pathway to extract lithium at California’s Salton Sea. One of the firms is reportedly linked to Warren Buffet, the Berkshire Hathaway Energy corporation.
“Geothermal lithium would go a long way to providing the U.S. with what it needs,” Patrick Dobson, a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, reportedly said. “But it remains untested, and we shall find out in the coming years whether it works.”
The U.S. currently mines only 1 percent of lithium worldwide and the price of importing materials skyrocketed by upwards of 280 percent over the past 13 months. The White House released a blueprint to ramp up lithium production, refinement, and battery production by more than 50 percent by 2030. Along with those goals are target dates to transition diesel semis to electric models. To say the U.S. has fallen behind in the lithium mining sector would be something of an understatement.
Sources: wsj.com, cnbc.com, political.com, fleetequipmentmag.com, politico.com
An Interesting irony about California and the lithium deposits.
Battery powered trucks are a joke. We don’t have the electrical infrastructure to even keep up with existing needs (cities, homes, businesses), not to mention cars, and especially mega-batteried trucks. This is government ‘shove’ at the highest level.
If we vote for fools we get fools . I didn’t vote for this administration and will not support then in November . I hope I’m not alone .
Your not alone there andrew. Surely anyone with half a brain and slightest ounce of common sense would not vote for a democrat.
You aren’t.