F for rechargeable batteries electric cars More and more cobalt is needed, but the metal could soon be scarce. Demand is expected to double over the next eight years to 225,000 tons annually, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources announced on Monday. Delays in mine development and processing “can lead to significant supply problems,” said geologist Siyamend Al Barazi.
The price of cobalt has quadrupled in two years to about 90,000 dollars per ton. Congo in Africa is today with 60 per cent, soon already 70 per cent market share of the world largest producer, said Barazi. All big new projects are in Congo. Half of the world’s reserves of seven million tonnes are also there.
Amnesty International But complains about child labor, accidents and health risks in mines in Congo. And in the eastern Congo, several rebel groups are fighting for control of areas and mineral resources. Cobalt is a good conductor of electricity and heat and increases the energy density in batteries. The metal is predominantly obtained as a by-product of nickel and copper production.
At the same time, the number of new applications for the electromobility subsidy in June has fallen to its lowest level in a year. The Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control, which is responsible for the subsidy, announced in Eschborn on Monday that it received 2744 new applications from citizens, associations or companies last month. 1535 funding applications were made for battery-powered vehicles, for which there is a subsidy of 4,000 euros, and 1209 for hybrid cars whose additional electric drive can be charged at the socket. The purchase of such vehicles is funded with 3000 euros. There was less interest in the subsidy last June, when the Federal Office received 2397 applications. A year before the expiration of the so-called environmental bonus, almost 964 million euros are still in the funding pot, with the federal government and automakers want to boost sales of electric cars in this country.
BMW in front of Volkswagen
When the subsidy was introduced two years ago, the total subsidy amounted to € 1.2 billion – € 600 million comes from taxes, € 600 million from the car industry, giving discounts to electric car buyers. However, the underlying funding policy contains an expiry date. The eligibility period is limited until the 30th of June next year or until the day on which all funds have been used up. Therefore, the companies had BMW and Renault and the Green politician Cem Ozdemir last in the F.A.Z. strongly encouraged to extend the funding beyond the 30 June 2019 deadline , Özdemir, who heads the Transport Committee of the Bundestag, assumes that there is a majority in the body for an extension. The Federal Ministry of Economics would be responsible for an extension. From there it was said, the promotion should continue until next June. Thereafter, the instrument will be evaluated and decided how to proceed with it.
In the first two years of the environmental bonus, most of the funding applications came from North Rhine-Westphalia, which has a good 14,100 applicants. Bavaria ranks second in the federal states with more than 13,300 applications, followed by Baden-Württemberg with more than 12,200 applications. The fewest applications, namely 326, come from Bremen. The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control registered 501 applications from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 534 were in Saarland. As far as the ranking of manufacturers is concerned BMW With a good 12,500 applications currently leading, followed by Volkswagen with just over 10,800 and the Daimler brand Smart with almost 8200th Fourth goes with 7844 applications to the French company Renault, hence the first foreign automaker. In fifth place is the Ingolstadt-based Audi Group, which is remarkable because it currently has only one eligible model on offer.
The most popular single vehicles are the model Zoe of Renault with 7348 applications and the BMW i3 with 5786 applications. With 5753 applications far ahead is also the Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron, a plug-in hybrid with conventional drive and electric motor. However, those interested in this car must be patient at the moment. In the current model year, these vehicles are sold out and therefore no longer individually composable, it was said on Monday on the website of the manufacturer. According to Audi but ready, already produced vehicles are ready.