First of all LFP batteries use more lithium than MNC (nickel based batteries). The Chinese increases the energy density in the LFP batteries and that comes with a cost of increasing lithium in it.
LFP batteries can't go much more than this though. Chinese try to increase its Wh/kg capacity but this is it. They are at the end of the road. Now they started to turn back to NCM batteries with "little" nickel for increasing the battery capacity because the Chinese EVs are met with range anxiety in the west.
More importantly lithium usage is going to increase because the next generation lithium batteries are SOLID STATE BATTEREIS and they use much more lithium (or lithia) because their anode is being lithium metal while the anode in today's lithium batteries is graphite.
They both have the same amount lithium in their electrolyte.
The western auto OEM's are now looking to use SS batteries or nickel based NCM batteries. Lithium and nickel are cheap, why not make NCM batteries as Tesla is making its nickel based 4680 cylindrical batteries.
Also the Japs and Koreans are both working very hard on SSBs. Samsung has already done it. Toyota is working on it together with Panasonic. I think Japanese and German OEMs will come up with EVs with SS batteries very soon.
That's what I'm waiting for. If I buy an EV I'd pay 30% more and buy a Toyota or Honda EV with SSB but I'd never buy a Chinse EV with LFP or SSB. (I always drive a Japanese car, no European and no American. I don't trust to any of them either)
The SSB has 500Wh per kg. That's huge. 3 times more than LFP and 2 times more than NCM.
Gives more than 1000km to a standard EV. That's what I want. Very safe and very fast chargeable.
"We supplied samples to customers from the end of last year to the beginning of this year and are receiving positive feedback," Samsung SDI VP Koh Joo-young said at SNE Battery Day 2024 in Seoul.
I believe the "prestige" cars like Merc, Audi, BMW, Porch etc will have to use these SSBs.
They are not going to be cheap but Samsung makes the cheaper "Semi SS" batteries as well. I'm sure Chinese will also start making them to compete with Koreans.
Then the lithium demand will increase more. There is no way out.
So simple.
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