Featured Lithium price collapse, predictable

Actually, EV Sales Aren't Struggling—Just Tesla's (thedrive.com)

 

i prefer sales quantity to percentage. tesla is still better than 50% of sales, and while i don't expect that to continue, it's actually a good thing.
people want choice, and look at all those companies who would never have built an a bev if it weren't for elon musk.
sales have stabilized temporarily, but they will continue to rise and fall as automotive sales have done historically

 

On another front, gas prices seem to have dropped. Paid less than $3 today for the first time in a long time. Why?

 

Did the supply chain speculators just roll back their irrational exuberance?

 

Gas prices always drop after summer vacations dry up. The refineries have not gone into their turnarounds which enable maintenance, upgrades and a shift to heating oils but require shutdowns.

 

The shift to winter blend is also starting. It is a cheaper mix.

 

Just checked the Rare Earth ETF (PICK) I've been tracking, but don't own. Oh my! Been falling since May. Lithium might have played a role?

 

From a chemistry perspective, lithium is not a "Rare Earth".

Though looking up PICK, I'm not seeing mention of Rare Earths, just "diversified metals, aluminum, steel, and precious metals and minerals ... (excluding gold and silver)."

 

In a way it is good lithium prices are dropping - mining and refining Lithium is an environmentally destructive process- the less incentive economically to mine the stuff the better.

Lithium mining has negative environmental impacts (mining-technology.com)

Tribes, Environmentalists Challenge Planned Nevada Lithium Mine (voanews.com)

Truth in advertising - I own a PHEV and have owned a Prius so I am probably a consumer of Lithium

 

EVs use rare earth minerals in the motor magnets.
If lithium prices change cause of the EV market, rare earths can follow.

Don't need to be a consumer of batteries to consume lithium. Glass and ceramics were the big user of it before, and still is.

 

We also use a lot of rare earth elements in our high end sophisticated electronics. We don't want to rely on potential enemy countries to supply these elements to use against them.
Rare earth elements aren't really rare, just highly environmentally destructive to mine and process.

 

This is really weird - that lithium prices would collapse - even as some of the largest battery storage areas around the world are being created. Most recently iirc the country of Chile is completing a 1.2 GW storage field. How does one reconcile that.
.

 

EV sales are collapsing and the demand for Lithium is falling off and expecting to go even lower.

New technology will hopefully eliminate the need for this mineral in the future.

After another boom and bust, where next for lithium? | Reuters
" Lithium boom has turned to lithium bust over the last two years as a wave of new supply overwhelms weaker-than-expected demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries."

 

The phrase 'irrational exuberance' was used earlier. Speculators driving up the price isn't limited to petroleum. Then new mines and expansions planned several years ago are coming online.

Going forward, Li-ion isn't the only option. Specially when talking stationary storage. Na-ion will become more common, and there are other options that may not work for EVs, but will for other uses.

 

Fixed it for you.

 

It is dishonest to knowingly alter someone words - you and others who like that sort of thing may have promising careers as politicians if you think that sort of thing is okay!
One of the basic elements of the human condition and communication is to listen and truly understand another's words and their viewpoints even if they are different than your own.
You seem to have problems doing that.

I worded it exactly how I meant it.

Unfortunately, like so many threads here on Prius Chat I see where this one is headed and will abandon it.
For me that is disappointing as I like hearing others' views especially those who disagree with me to be able to understand where they are coming from and for me to learn something,

Battery Metal Lithium is Dirt Cheap, and Could Have Further to Fall - WSJ

 

Gas prices have been dropping around here all summer.
Very odd, nothing in the news unless they go up.
We dropped ten cents last week to $2.93, but it was $3.60 or so a few months ago