Let’s try to get some control over the matter. Not long ago we heard a lecture from the Fraunhofer IZM Institute. The year 2021 serves as the basis; the basic statements are unlikely to have shifted significantly. China is the main supplier of graphite anode material, nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide and lithium-cobalt oxide cathode materials. Asia, i.e. China, Japan and South Korea, supplies 86 percent of the materials and components for lithium-ion batteries worldwide.More on this topicChina is the main player in the production of Li-ion cells. More than 70 percent of cobalt comes from Africa; it is said that China has secured many mining rights there. Around 80 percent of graphite is mined in China. Lithium, nickel, they also come from foreign markets. Looking at it the other way around: the EU only produces 1 percent of all battery raw materials. Unfortunately, the tensions with China are increasing, so what if the supply of raw materials is interrupted or even interrupted due to delivery problems that naturally arise? There is some evidence to suggest that, if we look at the bigger picture, blackmail and electric cars – as the rules currently stand – form a pair.
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