The problem with lithium laptop batteries

Just as we already have a problem with peak oil having caused last year's massive price spike at the pumps, there may be a similar paucity in the world's capacity to produce lithium, the miracle metal key to so many automakers' future plans for hybrid and electric vehicles. But whether they are the lithium cobalt laptop batteries used in portable devices -- not very useful for automotive use because of their reputation for overheating -- or the newer lithium phosphate or lithium manganese formulations developed for cars, all use a base of lithium metal, which is most easily extracted from salt brine. On the pessimistic side, there is William Tahil, author of the research paper The Trouble with Lithium, who estimates the world's lithium reserves at about four million tons. He claims the production of hybrid and electric cars will soon tax the world's production of lithium carbonate. Part of the discrepancy is due to how economical and easily each group thinks the mining of lithium will be, dividing their estimates between "reserves" (think of easily obtained Saudi Arabian oil literally bubbling to the surface) and the more difficult to process "base reserves" (think Canada's Athabasca Oil Sands). A., Chile's largest producer of lithium carbonate, says there is plenty for about five million electric vehicles. The discrepancies owe as much to the types of electric cars being produced -- fully electric cars need bigger batteries and, therefore, more lithium than hybrids -- as to the exact amount of the world's lithium stocks. However, virtually everyone readily agrees that the world's current production of lithium -- approximately 20,000 tons -- is woefully short of what's needed if electric car production really takes off. Whether you take the pessimistic or optimistic estimate of its reserves, the South American country's Salar de Uyuni salt desert has about 40% of the world's lithium, so far untapped. Mitsubishi, which thinks electric car production will outstrip lithium supply as early as 2015, is already in talks with Bolivia about sourcing its lithium. What makes Bolivia's position atop the lithium world truly ironic is that one of the United States' (and Europe's as well) primary objectives is to end its slavery to "foreign oil," particularly since some of its suppliers have "problematic" politics. The questions remain: Will there be enough lithium for electric cars? Just as easily, battery technology could develop beyond the need for lithium, although, at the current rate of development, automakers seem committed to it for at least the medium-term future.