Lithium, electric cars, and the New Battle of a natural resource
Recently, reported Bloomberg News that a senator in Chile insisted that his country be more active in taking control of their large deposits lithium metal (September 30, 2009). So why would the Chilean Senator Nuñez suddenly be so passionate and possessive about lithium, which is in his country ... and better yet, why is this news? Perhaps there has been a dramatic response in case of manic-depressive illness since our last lunar eclipse. Does this have caused the demand for lithium psychopharmacological purposes to the top like never before? Or, with the expected temperature rise from global warming, maybe people have been scurrying to the nearest Home Depot, grabbing as much (lithium-based) heat-resistant glass as possible. Yes, indeed, is the Senator conduct more likely related to the remarkable growth in lithium demand for their important role in building ... electric cars. How's that, you ask? Well, more specificlally lithium is very necessary for the large production of lithium-ion batteries currently used for the growing market for electric cars. And if you're not stuck in the transfer of your internal combustion engine for the past few months, you know that the most recent full-and hybrid-electric cars are just about ready to break out of their exclusive shows niche auto and roll into showrooms in your local car dealers. As developed countries' concern for green technology and energy independence with a peak in recent years, both start-up electric car companies and the established large cheeses penetrated the iron to create effective, progressive, and (almost) cost-effective electric cars to sell to the everyday American family . We started using much smaller lithium-ion batteries for mobile phones and laptop computers about ten years ago. The advantage of lithium-ion battery compared to traditional lead-acid batteries or rechargeable zinc is its character and high energy density and electrochemical potential. According to some estimates (australianlithium.com, others), a typical lithium-ion cell to generate about 3 volts, while a lead-acid battery cell delivers 1.5 volts. Companies like Boston Power, A123 Systems and Korean LG Chem has researched, developed and improved innovative change of lithium chemistry of these batteries, and electronics that control them, in recent years. They've done it hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, backed by such conglomerates such as General Electric, General Motors, NEC, and Chrysler. Results. General Motors will introduce the most famous of these lithium-ion battery-based all-electric cars, the Chevrolet Volt (or Amp, marketed in Europe) in local showrooms in late 2010. According to the latest estimates of U.S. News & World Report (accessed 10 October), the price will remain at $ 40,000, with a $ 7.500 federal tax credit available for that price. Mitsubishi's all-electric i-MiEV will go on sale next year, but at first only in Japan. The Economist estimates Mitsubishi model to have a price tag of $ 49,000, which could cut almost in half by the time the car goes on sale overseas. Tesla Roadster was one of the first full-scale electric cars to go on sale to the general market, in 2007. The roadster can reach 60 mph in just four seconds and has a top speed of over 130 mph. The "general market" is a term used more loosely for the Tesla car that cost only $ 121,000, not the typical costs of the American family adjusting the Aerostar to SUVs to plug-in electric Volt and mobile.In addition to i-MiEV, are other electric cars expected to arrive from Toyota (unexpectedly), Fiat, Renault-Nissan (the "Leaf" could be launched in 2010), and Daimler. Although the American public can not act in its entire fleet of intra-combustine vehicles for all electrical them as fast as some of us sold our clunker cars for cash earlier this year, there will be a gradual paradigm shift in automotive buying landscape over the next twenty years, according to various studies and estimates. As Yahoo News reported considers Renault boss Carlos Ghosn to 2020, electric cars make up more than 10 percent of the total car market, and that its strategic alliance with Nissan, zero emission vehicles, the group's peak in the ongoing fight against CO2 emissions. Oliver Wyman consulting, in a study released last month (September 2009), believe market share will jump to 16 percent in 2025 and rise further after that, while IDTechEx, a research consultancy form Cambridge, England, indicated that electric vehicles will penetrate the market quickly in order to constitute 35% of cars manufactured in the 2025th And if we continue to manufacture batteries needed for these electric cars in the same way that we manufacture these batteries today, there are a lot of lithium that will be needed at the beginning of the supply chain. No wonder some of Chile's government is eager to pounce on this resource.Lithium - now as a "strategic mineral" - primarily in the bone-dry Atacama Desert, which covers parts of Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and above. There are no lithium reserves in the U.S., China and Australia. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), almost half of world reserves are in Bolivia, and only two brine operations in Chile currently dominates the world market. SQM and Rockwood Holdings, the two mining companies are enjoying a lot of loot from the lithium rush right now with his jealousy excavation activities in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The increased demand for lithium in lithium-ion battery-based electric car has some of the public concerned about a potential "Lithium cartel" akin to the current OPEC oil group has caused many suits, problems price and resource struggles of last century or so. As Norman Hardie in Toronto, Canada, recently wrote in a published letter to The Economist (September 17), "Although lithium is relatively abundant the largest reserves are in Bolivia, and Russia have large reserves. We should give the issue more consideration before we change a dependence on oil for a lithium cartel led by Hugo Chavez's friends. "Well, while Bolivian President Morales may say hostile things sometimes if its slightly larger northern neighbor, is trying his darndest Chile always make economic, trade and political alliances with U.S. top foreign policy priority. It will be very interesting to see how the hunt for this resource pans out.And, actually, in a recent article in the August Scientific American online, some scientists discovered that these lithium-ion batteries run our laptops and electric cars can be better improved by adding a compound containing boron and fluoride. Oh no. Well, now then, I guess we have to get a jump on the big Boron reserves Turkey and flour reserves are .... in fact, everywhere. Can not we all just quiet humm of our zero-emissions family size go-cart and get along? Sources: Australian-Lithium.com. "About Lithium. An important part of Electron Economy "http://www.australian-lithium.com/about-lithium.html, 2009.The Economist," The electrification of the car. The electric fuel-commerce acid test. "5 September 2009. Matthew Craze and Michale Smith, "Chilean Senator Proposes Government Control of Lithium Deposits." Bloomberg said. 30 September 2009. U.S. News & World Report: Rankings and Reviews. "2010 Chevy Volt." Http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Chevrolet_Volt/Mitsubishi Motors. i-MiEV. Innovations. http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/special/ev/4innovations/index.htmlTesla Motors. http://www.teslamotors.com/Simon Boehm, "France launches" Battle of the electric car ". AFP, Yahoo News. October 1, http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/franceautoenvironmentelectricsectorChristoph Hammerschmidt, "E-cars have a long way to go to become competitive," says the researcher. "EE Times, Deutschland. http://eetimes.eu/germany/219700477Dr Peter Harrop and Raghu Das, "Hybrid and pure electric cars from 2009 to 2019." IDTechEx consulting, http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/hybrid_and_pure_electric_cars_2009_2019_000227.aspUSGS. Minerals resources. Lithium. http://minerals.usgs.gov/. 2007-Economist. Letters. "The fee for a Chevy." 17 September 2009.Jenny Mandel, "Building a better lithium-ion battery." Special Scientific American, reprinted from Green Wire. August 24, 2009 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=electric-cars-lithium-ion-battery-boron-fluorine
http://openoffice.org