Actually I
do not include Ni in the new energy metals group.
And I take your warning that what Indonesia did to Ni other low labour cost countries could do to Cu, iron ore, Li etc.
Also from what I have read,
@lockitt could be right about Mercedes and other German companies tiring of the race to EVs - IMO its the cost, of batteries and all the other tech and electrical gear, which makes it unattractive to them.
But global sales of EVs went up 30% last year regardless of those woes.
No doubt China is happy to fill the gap - have you noticed how many Chinacars are on the streets?
IMO the crunch for EVs will come about by the cost of maintenance and battery replacement when they get to 6 to 10 years old.
Of great importance is the recycling of all the special metals - the batteries get crunched and ground down to make a substance called Black Mass, which is sold to chemical recyclers. Most important contribution to Black Mass is reject product from manufacturing, but as EVs age old whole batteries will be the main contributor.
Now the important thing about Black Mass atm is that because of the artificial low cost of Li and Ni etc its value is also low. It went through a time when it was worth zero, or negative. The recyclers in Korea were not buying because they could not make a profit. Who knows what was done did with it? But I guess there are a lot of dead fish somewhere. I must stop buying flavoured noodles! -- And don't tell The Greens it was all their fault.
I wonder what it will cost to replace a battery 10 years from now, and what credit you get for the old one??
Anyway
@blackcat I am happy to support our lifestyle by trading and occasionally having a win on these markets, and for more serious fun I am working up a NEW engine based on the Sterling Cycle where enriched uranium is permanently embedded in the piston as fuel. The best working fluid for a Sterling Cycle is helium and it is sealed in. The only thing that comes out is electricity via two wires. Of course it can't be turned off, and if it was it would explode - thus continuing the tradition of exploding EVs.
Watch this space.
As for ICG, I have great hopes that the phosphate rock (ancient bird poo) can be mined to produce fertilizer for the world's growing population. Phosphorus from phosphate fertilizer is an essential nutrient. Potassium [K] is another essential nutrient which comes from potash. AMN (Agrimin) is an Aussie company on the verge of producing it in the form of Sulphate of Potash, the most valuable form, from a lake in West Arunta, just south of Inca's Li project.
What goes round comes round. DYOR.
(20min delay)