Last week, two influential Democratic US senators called on the Energy Department to take action to strengthen US electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing.
The senators, Mark Warner and Joe Manchin, referred to expert analyses indicating that the US is “10 to 20 years” behind China in its EV battery manufacturing capabilities.
Warner and Manchin expressed concerns about China’s dominance in battery technology and its control over the global supply chain. They emphasized the need for the US to become a leader in battery manufacturing and secure the supply chains for necessary materials.
The senators referred to China’s recent export restrictions on graphite, a critical component of battery anodes, as an example. In October, China began requiring special export permits for three categories of graphite.
The move came several years after America slapped a 25% tariff on Chinese-made EVs. The tariff, originally imposed in 2018 by President Trump, has been extended by President Biden.
According to Autoblog, China currently accounts for over 75% of battery cell production. The country dominates the global EV battery supply chain, including graphite production. In contrast, the US produced less than 10% of lithium-ion batteries in 2022.
If the US remains dependent on China for battery raw materials like graphite, it may become impossible for the US to completely switch to electric cars. This is particularly true if trade tensions intensify.
No graphite mining has occurred in the United States for decades. In 2022, a graphite deposit of over 10 million metric tons was discovered north of Nome, Alaska. However, mining may be delayed due to significant opposition from local Indigenous tribes.
Warner and Manchin called for a briefing on ongoing research and development of next-generation battery technologies. They also highlighted the importance of lithium-ion batteries for various military systems, including radio, lasers, and directed energy weapons.
The senators proposed close coordination with the Department of Defense and other national security agencies to support the development of innovative, American-made energy storage technologies.
Golda_M on November 14th, 2023 at 11:18 UTC »
So.. to make this geopolitics.. is China's relative position in EV battery manufacturing very important? If so why? Is Chinese leadership in any market worrisome, specific markets..?
A paradigm where any Chinese win, is a western/us loss by default.. that's a particular paradigm. If that is indeed the paradigm, currently, then the existence of this paradigm is the actual thing to discuss.
I mean, the Chinese economy has been developing rapidly for decades now. It's a manufacturing powerhouse, from low tech to high tech. The population is huge, the highly educated part of the workforce is huge and growing.
Chinese leadership in some, or many markets is pretty much inevitable.
Narratives matter. Prevailing narratives that lead to conflict, lead to conflict. I don't think either China or the US are particularly aggressive countries. I know this is controversial statement, but there it is.
The current state is improvable, diplomatically, by a lot. A significant effort on the narrative front by either party, currently, can be effective. Unfortunately, the opposite is more politically prevalent.
I'm not saying to ignore grievances, points of difference, and everything else. I'm saying, that all these grievances don't add up to a reason for cold war. Not even close.
Magicalsandwichpress on November 14th, 2023 at 08:55 UTC »
For an article making claims on China's battery technology leadership, it's awfully sparse on who these industry leader and champions are.
Here's an overview on CATL, a world leader in lithium battery technology not widely know outside of China.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8GMeQZdSlzU
swampcholla on November 14th, 2023 at 06:39 UTC »
How can you be 20 years behind in a technology that’s barely 20 years old?