Paragraph taken from semiengineering.com Electric car boom...

Paragraph taken from semiengineering.com

Electric car boom
Today’s electronic products require a slew of materials. But one technology—electric vehicles—is projected to require an enormous amount of raw metals, possibly turning the supply chain upside down.
In total, carmakers are expected to ship 91 million new vehicles in 2020, according to CRU, a research firm. Of those, carmakers are projected to ship 2.1 million new electric vehicles, or 2% of the world’s car market, in 2020. By 2030, carmakers are expected to ship 107 million vehicles, CRU said. Of that, the industry is projected to ship 31.7 million electric vehicles, or 30% of the world’s market, by 2030.
China alone seeks to put 5 million electric vehicles on the road by 2020, requiring a 40% increase in new-energy-vehicle sales each year, according to McKinsey & Co.
All of these figures might be optimistic. But if the industry does indeed ship 31.7 million electric cars by 2030, the industry would require 4.1 megatons (Mt), or 4.1 million tons, of copper, according to mining giant Glencore. The figures include the requirements for cars and the infrastructure.