Despite the pace at which sales of electric passenger vehicles are growing, and the promise they hold for lowering worldwide carbon emissions, there is a major conflict between the way EV designs are evolving and how that threatens to create serious problems for the sustainability of automotive supply chains.
Historically, the primary deterrent to consumers adopting EVs has been range anxiety, given the comparatively lower MPGe of battery packs versus fuel tanks in IC-engined cars, and the far lower availability of charging points relative to fuelling stations. In response, automotive OEMs are building EVs with ever-larger batteries, with a view to enabling EVs to complete their day-to-day journeys and make it back home without needing to recharge. More…