Resistance at $5.23, page-9

Barolobill,

Not all major current electric vehicle batteries use nickel, eg I don’t think the leaf does?

Right now with cheap nickel and batteries still quite expensive it is probably not the priority to eliminate nickel from the mix, but if/when there is mass adoption then batteries will have to be much cheaper meaning the nickel will be proportionately a much more substantial part of the cost. It would not be sustainable for the nickel price to soar such that nickel became the dominant cost.

There are alternatives, and as these batteries are becoming a mega market, mega money will now be going into development of alternatives. Inevitable really, just as pig nickel was a response to astronomic nickel prices a decade ago.

Meanwhile nickel has a growing market in this space, but for how long? Maybe it will always produce a more desirable battery and remain in the premuim end of the market? And to an extent that mildly elevates the pon?

I wouldn’t trust a bunch of powerpoint MBA’s to predict the future of battery technology.

FB,
As for M&A, imho current management are still up for it, they didn’t respect shareholder value, and I see no reason why the leopard will change his spots. Peers that have changed have done so under new leadership. Same leadership, same weakness to lullibys from the M&A industry. Also maybe they just like paying whopping amounts of stamp duty, as well as the huge M&A fees.

EL