I agree, this review was overdue and needed doing. I have...

I agree, this review was overdue and needed doing. I have confidence in the medium to long term that the business will do fine. I know people are all worried about EV demand dropping etc - but we have a whole energy time shifting sector that requires static batteries by the boat load, AND new technologies that increase power density and safety seem to have a common element - lithium. The sheer amount of 10 digit plus money that is being thrown at the energy sector will drive lithium demand over the medium to long term for sure. Yes, we won't get back to the dizzy heights but the lithium price will adjust upwards from where it is now and the base demand for lithium will be locked in for many years to come.

Personally, I think the whole EV thing, with the current generation of batteries, is a complete disaster. The environmental footprint improvement is marginal at best. Current lithium batteries are not at all well suited to a vibration heavy and downright abusive usage case - add in sheer stupidity and you have batteries that fail early or go all thermal runaway on you with only a few seconds notice. In Australia we have had two EV trucks out of a fleet of 50 go full pyro within 12 months - that's a 4% per annum pyro failure rate - or per 100 vehicles 4 go bang every year... I don't want to be in the cross harbour tunnel when one of these goes pyro, it will probably be the last thing I see.. Hence why new battery techs are required that don't have the thermal runaway risk and higher densities. Now, energy time shifting doesn't need the new tech, as batteries that don't encounter physical shock usually last longer without going pyro on you.

So, hang on in there, 2024 will start out quiet, but as the many zeros money starts turning into purchases left right and centre, the lithium price will be going up.

As always DYOR.