I have been reading on electric trucks. It seems that a few of...

I have been reading on electric trucks. It seems that a few of the major truck manufacturers have finished trials of prototype trucks and are now taking orders. Apparently, some of the major users who were trialing the prototypes have placed orders for 100 prime movers. This is a significant capital expenditure, even for a large company. These vehicles will have huge batteries and will cause a large increase in the demand for lithium.
There is also a new "electric trailer" coming onto the market. This is even more exciting, because it makes a lot of sense, economically. The idea is to have the semi-trailer with a fairly small battery, powering the wheels on the trailer and a normal, diesel-powered truck up front. The battery can be charged from the mains, but it is mostly designed to be charged from the braking system. The electric power can then be used to provide the additional power for hill climbing and any need for excess power such as acceleration. This allows the truck to run at near constant power, which reduces fuel and maintenance. This has enormous economic benefit for the trucking industry, including very much maintenance on brakes, a major cost for heavy trucks.. This will likely have a very rapid take-up.
Electrification of commercial vehicles makes much more economic sense than for private cars and is likely to see very much more rapid take-up. The next couple of years will be exciting for holders of lithium producers. It takes a lot longer to discover and develop a mine than it does to build a factory to process the chemicals or to build trucks or other products using lithium. ESS is still the only company with a mining lease granted and no commitment on the ore.