Volkswagen aims to start small-scale production of solid cells...

Volkswagen aims to start small-scale production of solid cells as of 2025

The alkaline metal lithium occurs in numerous countries. A distinction is made between extraction from salars and extraction from ore mining. Mining is considered the future-proof solution, both commercially and in terms of sustainability. Lithium extraction in salt lakes – predominantly in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia – is deemed difficult to calculate, since the evaporation process can be severely affected by rain, snow and natural contaminants in the material, and the impact on the environment (for example, on the groundwater level) can be potentially problematic. Lithium extracted from mining for the future-relevant intermediate product “lithium hydroxide”, on the other hand, is commercially more attractive (there is one less production step as compared to salar production), more stable to extract, easier to scale and generally more sustainable. The world market leader in ore-based production is Australia, a country with a stable political system, a high degree of transparency and ambitious environmental standards. The future Volkswagen supplier Ganfeng extracts material from several mines there. Furthermore, lithium extracted from ore is more suitable for batteries of the next generations. As part of its partnership with QuantumScape, Volkswagen aims to start small-scale production of solid cells as of 2025. “We are focusing on lithium from the mining industry, because this form of extraction means more stable prices, guaranteed capacities and transparent sustainability”, says Michael Bäcker.