The most commonly mined minerals used in the manufacturing of electric vehicles are Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Graphite and Rare Earth Materials:
- Lithium: Lithium is a key component of lithium-ion batteries, which power most electric vehicles. Lithium is primarily extracted from brine pools and hard rock mines.
- Cobalt: Cobalt is used in the cathode of lithium-ion batteries, which makes it an important mineral for the electric vehicle industry. Most of the world’s cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Nickel: Nickel is another important component of the cathode in lithium-ion batteries. Most of the world’s nickel is mined in Canada, Russia, and Australia.
- Graphite: Graphite is used in the anode of lithium-ion batteries. It is primarily mined in China, Brazil, and India.
- Rare earth metals: Rare earth metals such as neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium are used in the motors of electric vehicles. These metals are primarily mined in China.