Cars That Think

DECEMBER 23, 2022

California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Liane Randolph told Reuters that its 2035 EV mandate was the “sweet spot,” given “where the automakers are, where the supply chains are, and where the production vehicles are.” You cannot change the sources from Congo, China and other places within two to three years.”

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Sale Tax Credit Tax Congo 98

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 20, 2020

Roughly 60% of mined cobalt is sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Half of the current supply of cobalt is incorporated into cathodes for lithium-ion batteries, and many of those batteries are used in consumer electronics and electric vehicles. Xinkai Fu, Danielle N. Beatty, Gabrielle G. 9b04975.

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Supplies Batteries Battery Congo 349

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Around 60% of the world’s cobalt supply comes from the mineral-rich Katanga Copper belt, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This field study provides novel and robust empirical evidence that the artisanal extraction of cobalt that prevails in the DR Congo may cause toxic harm to vulnerable communities. —Nkulu et al.

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Congo Universal Lithium Ion Neighborhood 207

Green Car Congress

MARCH 19, 2021

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award up to $30 million to support scientific research that will ensure US businesses can reliably tap into a domestic supply of critical elements and minerals—specifically rare earth elements (REE) and platinum group elements (PGE)—needed to produce clean energy technologies. (

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 9, 2022

China dominates the global Li-ion battery supply chain to the extent that removing the country in favor of European or North American alternatives will be difficult, according to analysis by Benchmark Minerals Intelligence. Despite mining less than 10% of the global supply, China refines 95% of it.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 20, 2023

Through this MOU, the United States will support the commitment between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to develop jointly a supply chain for electric vehicle batteries. The DRC produces more than 70% of the world’s cobalt.

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Zambia Congo Africa Batteries 210

Green Car Congress

JULY 4, 2020

For example, two-thirds of all cobalt production happens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). However, a new report from UNCTAD warns that the raw materials used in electric car batteries are highly concentrated in a small number of countries, raising a number of concerns.

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Batteries Battery Production Zambia 545

Charged EVs

JANUARY 18, 2023

OPTEL has partnered with test, inspection and certification specialist Bureau Veritas to create a comprehensive traceability service called V-Trace, which companies and government regulators can use to follow products through their supply chains, from extraction of the raw materials to final assembly.

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Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

While cobalt prices have shown positive signs of late, there are nuances within the market which highlight the key fundamentals that will likely decide cobalt’s future price trend—which is taking its cues less and less from the industrial metal supply chain, according to a new report from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

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Price Batteries Battery 2020 382

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

The company insists on the use of strong standards for sustainability, making the industry-wide recognized “Standard for Responsible Mining” of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) one of the key criteria for supplier decisions and supplier contracts within raw material supply chains.

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Mercedes Batteries Battery Supplies 377

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to be the source for approximately 69% of mined cobalt in 2020—i.e., a significant quantity of the world’s supply originates from areas ranking poorly in terms of corruption and working conditions, notes critical materials supply chain intelligence company Roskill.

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Green Car Congress

APRIL 16, 2020

UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) are conducting a stakeholder-led research initiative focused on identifying strategies to improve sustainability and governance across the EV battery supply chain.

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Supplies Batteries Battery Congo 221

Green Car Congress

APRIL 2, 2021

for the supply of spodumene concentrate (SC6) from the Manono Lithium and Tin Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Australia-based AVZ Minerals Limited has secured a strategic, long-term offtake partner agreement with Yibin Tianyi Lithium Industry Co.,

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 30, 2020

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) announced a request for information (RFI) ( DOE-FOA-0002358 ) on challenges and opportunities in the upstream and midstream critical-materials battery supply chains. There is limited domestic production of Co and Li in the upstream supply chain.

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Ni-Li Supplies Batteries Battery 186

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can leverage its abundant cobalt resources and hydroelectric power to become a low-cost and low-emissions producer of lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials, according to a new study on a unified African supply chain by BloombergNEF (BNEF).

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Green Car Congress

MAY 21, 2021

Tested in real operating conditions, from upstream cobalt production facilities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to downstream electric vehicle production sites, the pilot will run until the end of 2021, with the roll-out of the final solution expected in 2022.

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Green Car Congress

MAY 18, 2022

Supply also returned to growth in 2021, with mine supply rising 12% y/y to 160 kt, after falling in 2020. kt in 2021, 12% of the DRC’s total supply. kt in 2021, 12% of the DRC’s total supply. Primary refined supply increased 14% y/y to 144 kt.

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Market Lithium Ion Congo Indonesia 293

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

Volkswagen says that it is actively engaging in improving artisanal cobalt mining conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as well as the living conditions for people in the surrounding communities. The Volkswagen Group is constantly pushing for greater responsibility in its raw material supply chains for batteries.

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Congo Legal Google Financing 334

CleanTechnica EVs

JUNE 20, 2021

“This means having safe and humane working conditions in our supply chain and ensuring that workers are treated with respect and dignity,” the company said in its SEC […].

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2019 Supplies Tesla Companies 145

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

In 2017, Australia, Chile, and Argentina produced 91% of all lithium while the rest of the world supplied the remaining 9%. The Democratic Republic of Congo produced 59% of the world’s cobalt. Other lithium-ion battery materials, such as nickel, have a more even distribution of production throughout the world.

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Chile Argentina 2017 Australia 281

Green Car Congress

MAY 30, 2021

Fastmarkets reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has banned the export of copper and cobalt concentrate. If this material was, even temporarily, removed from the supply chain, there would be knock-on effects, Roskill said.

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CleanTechnica EVs

MAY 13, 2023

A CleanTechnica interviewee argues that automakers cannot make the excuse that it's too complicated to know who their suppliers are and how their suppliers are violating human rights.

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 7, 2019

Roughly 62 percent global cobalt output is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An executive from Ford said recently that automakers might feel compelled to invest directly in cobalt production over fears of securing adequate supply. “I But cobalt looms as a larger concern for some automakers.

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Oil America Oil Prices South Africa 306

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 16, 2019

Ford Motor Company, Huayou Cobalt, IBM, LG Chem and RCS Global will use blockchain technology to trace and validate ethically sourced minerals in an effort to support human rights and environmental protection while helping infuse more transparency into global mineral supply chains. Goldcorp Inc., ING Bank, Kutcho Copper Corp.,

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Supplies Global Ford Financing 186

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 31, 2020

The cross-industry initiative “Cobalt for Development” has started trainings for twelve artisanal mining cooperatives in October in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). The prevalence of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the cobalt supply chain creates challenges for establishing responsible sourcing practices.

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Congo Legal 2019 Global 220

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 22, 2020

Our vision for a green economy is at the core of our continued commitment to supply the most critical materials for the global battery sector and we are leading industry efforts to ensure the sustainable, traceable cobalt sourcing in supply chains across Europe, North America, South Korea and Japan.

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South Korea Congo Batteries Battery 247

Green Car Congress

MAY 22, 2021

The Cobalt Institute commissioned Roskill to look at the global trends in cobalt consumption, supply and production in 2020. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remained the largest source of cobalt supply, accounting for 66% of the global mine supply.

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Get Electric Vehicle

JUNE 6, 2023

The supply chain in the EV industry is a complex ecosystem that spans multiple continents, involving various components, raw materials, and intricate processes.  Electric Vehicle Supply Chain #1. Identifying alternative suppliers and establishing relationships with multiple sources can enhance supply chain resilience.

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Supplies Electric Vehicles Industrial Industry 80

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 29, 2018

As part of a cross-industry initiative, the BMW Group, BASF SE, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electronics have launched a joint cobalt pilot project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The world’s largest known reserves of this raw material are found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Congo BMW Industrial Industry 236

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

Under the supply terms, EGC will ensure that the ore marketed by Trafigura complies with OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. We welcome this announcement and are excited at the prospect of supporting Trafigura’s agreement with EGC.

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Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

Cobalt is one of the most significant supply chain risks threatening widespread adoption of electric cars, trucks and other electronic devices requiring batteries, according to the paper’s authors.

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Li-ion Lithium Ion Batteries Battery 284

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

Several of the raw materials used in electric vehicle components have questionable mining practices or volatile supply chains, leading OEMs to change the way they make batteries and motors. It is also a very expensive material with its supply and mining confined to a large majority in China and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Market Congo Motors Motor 243

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 27, 2017

The BMW Group has now set itself the goal of enhancing the transparency of its battery cell supply chain and exploring options for model projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC Government has pledged to eliminate this by 2025. —Ursula Mathar, head of Sustainability and Environmental Protection at the BMW Group.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 29, 2022

This would bring Indonesia into second place for cobalt mining, after the Democratic Republic of Congo. Indonesia’s nickel and cobalt are key components in global lithium ion battery supply chains. The HPAL process utilizes elevated temperatures (roughly 255 ?

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Green Car Congress

AUGUST 7, 2021

China Molybdenum (CMOC) , a leading cobalt and copper producer, recently started trial production from its 10k expansion project at the Tenke Fungurume Mine (TFM) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). TFM mainly produces copper cathode and cobalt hydroxide. In 2020, TFM produced 182,597 tonnes of copper and 15,436 tonnes of cobalt.

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Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Jervois intends to be capable of supplying refined nickel and cobalt products to customers across a range of industries including specialty stainless steels, nickel and cobalt superalloys, cathode precursor, lithium-ion battery and electric vehicles manufacturers. Jervois has not included this conversion into its current development plans.

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Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 10, 2020

A multitude of supply, demand, cost and sustainability conditions are poised to drive a rapid expansion of the battery recycling industry, more than tripling its capacity by 2030, according to a new analysis by IHS Markit. Recycled materials currently make up a small proportion of the battery supply chain.

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Batteries Battery Congo Industrial 186