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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ford's plan to replace <keyword id="20674913" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Electric-SUVs" source="keywords">electric SUVs</keyword> with hybrids will cost the company nearly $2 billion.</li><li>Ford's next <keyword id="23228796" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Electric-pickup-truck" source="keywords">electric pickup truck</keyword> won't start production until 2027.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-pulling-back-electric-vehicle-production-again-2024-4">Ford</a> has changed its electric vehicle strategy again, canceling long-held plans for electric three-row SUVs and delaying production of its next electric pickup truck. In a strategy shift that Ford says will initially cost the company nearly $2 billion, the American automaker is replacing the canceled electric SUVs with <keyword id="20810032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hybrid-models" source="keywords">hybrid models</keyword>, its chief financial officer, John Lawler, told reporters on a Wednesday-morning call. After assessing current pricing pressure on EVs, the cost of a battery large enough to power three-row SUVs, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-cant-impress-new-ev-buyers-thats-a-problem-2024-7">taking into account consumer demand</a>, Lawler said that Ford wouldn't be able to meet its goal of achieving profitability for the previously planned electric SUVs within the first year of launch. "These vehicles need to be profitable," Lawler said. "If they're not profitable based on where the customer is — where the market is — we will pivot and adjust." In addition to the canceled EVs, Ford is pushing back production of its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-plans-new-electric-pickup-truck-to-rival-tesla-2023-3">next full-size electric pickup truck</a> to late 2027. Output of that vehicle was previously planned to start next year at Ford's new EV assembly complex in Tennessee. Lawler said the delay would allow Ford to spend more time <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-asks-suppliers-for-help-cutting-ev-costs-2024-5">reducing battery costs</a>, making the future truck more affordable. Lawler said this new family of hybrid SUVs would include a variety of propulsion options but did not specify whether that would include a plug-in hybrid option or provide details on when these cars would go on sale. <h2>EV growing pains</h2>Ford's revised EV strategy is just the latest in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/automakers-back-to-the-drawing-board-ev-plans-2024-2">a series of shifts</a> from car companies this year as they adjust to a more practical and frugal group of EV shoppers. A slew of high-end EVs have hit dealer lots after years of development. At the same time, the wealthy early adopters these cars were designed for are dropping out of the market. That has led to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-will-electric-cars-cost-less-get-more-affordable-2024-8">mismatch of supply and demand</a> for EVs that car companies are scrambling to remedy. Ford has leaned heavily on its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-hybrid-battle-against-tesla-ev-maverick-pickup-2024-3">hybrid offerings</a> as demand for those vehicles has increased. Hybrids appeal more to today's green car shoppers who are looking for a practical replacement for their gas-powered car, not just an extra car for the driveway. "It's coming back to understanding the customer," Lawler said. "The goal here is to be nimble and to pivot." Correction: August 21, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the date of Ford's call with reporters. It was Wednesday, not Tuesday.

Ford just put its EV plans in reverse

Busting the myth: Why EVs aren't always greener than petrol or diesel vehicles

<ul class="summary-list"><li>General Motors is investing $625 million in the electric vehicle supply chain.</li><li>The funds will help Lithium Americas Corp develop and operate a major lithium mine in Nevada.</li></ul>Detroit-based automaker General Motors is pumping money into the domestic supply chain for electric vehicle batteries.Canadian mining company Lithium Americas Corp announced in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241016466651/en/">press release</a> on Wednesday that GM investing a total of $625 million to fund the mining of lithium carbonate, a critical component of EV batteries. The cash-and-credit joint venture will fund the development, construction, and operation of the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Humboldt County, Nevada, in which GM will acquire a 38% asset-level ownership stake, the press release states.The automaker's investment in Thacker Pass, the<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://lithiumamericas.com/news/news-details/2024/Lithium-Americas-Provides-a-Thacker-Pass-Construction-Plan-Update/default.aspx"> largest known lithium resource in North America</a>, will also help Lithium Americas unlock a $2.3 billion conditional loan from the US Department of Energy, which was first announced earlier this year, the mining company said.GM will give $430 million in cash to help fund the building of Phase 1 of the mine, as well as a $195 million letter of credit facility to be used as collateral for the DOE loan, according to the press release."Our relationship with GM has been significantly strengthened with this joint venture as we continue to pursue a mutual goal to develop a robust domestic lithium supply chain by advancing the development of Thacker Pass," Jonathan Evans, President and CEO of Lithium Americas, said in the company's press release."Today's joint venture announcement is a win-win for GM and Lithium Americas," Evans continued.Jeff Morrison, GM's senior vice president of global purchasing and supply chain, said in Wednesday's press release that investing directly in the raw materials needed for EVs will help the company develop a resilient supply chain and "manage battery cell costs, deliver value to our customers and investors, and create jobs."GM's investment in the EV supply chain comes after the automaker announced this summer that it <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/etf/auto-industry-pulls-back-on-evs-as-consumers-hesitate-over-high-price-inconvenience-1033570316#:~:text=On%20Wednesday%2C%20General%20Motors%20Co,from%20200%2C000%20to%20250%2C000%20vehicles.&amp;text=Even%20Tesla%2C%20Inc.,investment%20in%20battery%2Dpowered%20vehicles.">would be scaling back its 2024 EV production goal</a> by 50,000 units, as consumer demand for the battery-powered vehicles has waned and sales have slowed down.Even so, the investment by GM will help the automaker secure a steady domestic supply of battery metals.Despite the auto industry's recent pullback on EV production, lithium mining company Rio Tinto agreed last week to take over Arcadium Lithium for $6.7 billion, under the expectation that lithium demand will increase in the coming decade, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/rio-tinto-to-acquire-arcadium-lithium-for-6-7-billion-2bce3360?mod=article_inline">The Wall Street Journal reported</a>.

GM makes a $625 million lithium-battery move to shore up its EV supply chain

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19969321" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="EV-charging" source="keywords">EV charging</keyword> is so bad it's driving people back to <keyword id="19951339" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fossil-fuels" source="keywords">fossil fuels</keyword>.</li><li>Lack of <keyword id="20111395" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="charging-infrastructure" source="keywords">charging infrastructure</keyword> is already a barrier for many would-be EV buyers.</li></ul>Difficulty charging and other issues are leading some EV buyers to consider switching back to fossil fuels — the latest bad sign for the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-vehicle-misconceptions-about-the-ev-transition-market-sales-2024-5" target="_blank">EV transition</a>. A recent consumer study conducted by <a href="https://executivedigest.sapo.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mobility-Consumer-Pulse-2024_Overview.pdf" target="_blank">McKinsey</a> found that 46% of US EV owners surveyed said they were likely to switch back to a gas-powered vehicle, compared to a global average of 29% of EV owners who said they would likely switch back to an internal-combustion engine. Respondents in 9 major countries said the top reason for potentially ditching their EVs was<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-car-ev-road-trip-toyota-bz4x-genesis-gv60-charging-2023-8" target="_blank"> a lack of charging infrastructure</a>, something the US has historically <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024/outlook-for-electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure" target="_blank">lagged</a> behind other nations in building. Other charging issues high on the list included a lack of charging at home and the impact of long-distance driving. <keyword id="21396729" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="range-anxiety" source="keywords">Range anxiety</keyword> and access to charging infrastructure have long been considered <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-vehicle-charging-availability-cost-automakers-tesla-supercharger-advantage-2023-2">one of the top barriers to electric vehicle adoption</a>, but the revelation that these same issues may drive current <keyword id="22369439" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="battery-powered-car-owners" source="keywords">battery-powered car owners</keyword> back into <keyword id="20635927" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gas-powered-cars" source="keywords">gas-powered cars</keyword> is a new blow for the already rocky <keyword id="20729481" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV-transition" source="keywords">EV transition</keyword>. Despite the challenges facing the segment, EVs accounted for a record 7.6% of all cars sold in the US in 2023 while the number of charging stations hit 61,000. While the rate of growth has slowed, industry experts and executives have said they expect some EV share to grow to 8% in 2024 as new models continue to hit the market, helping to keep their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ev-electric-car-deals-leases-kia-hyundai-tesla-ford-2024-6" target="_blank">average price falling.</a> While there are plenty of shoppers interested in an electric vehicle, the options on sale today are often too big, too expensive, or not practical enough to replace a gas-powered car. Car companies are already <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/automakers-back-to-the-drawing-board-ev-plans-2024-2">scrambling to adjust</a> to a sudden change in the electric vehicle market in order to draw more new customers. The slowdown in electric vehicle sales growth has rocked everyone from Ford to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-sales-miss-ev-slowdown-new-wave-customers-2024-4">Tesla</a>, denting sales and forcing executives to rethink their long-term plans for electric vehicles. While the industry has made great strides in electric vehicle range and battery charging times, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ev-charging-needs-to-improve-amenities-offerings-stores-2024-6">huge holes in the infrastructure</a> make certain areas nearly impossible to navigate without a gas-powered engine. McKinsey's study found this issue to be particularly acute in the US, which had the second-highest rate of respondents say they're considering ditching their EV. (In first place was Australia, with 49% of respondents saying they are likely to switch back.) America's high placement shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-vehicle-range-ev-charging-station-infrastructure-issues-2024-5">Charging infrastructure here has long been a hot-potato issue</a>, which has held back efforts to build more chargers. While a push from the automotive industry to fund charging infrastructure has led to a boom in public charging stations in the last two years, these have largely been money-losing ventures. On the government side, the Biden Administration has set aside $7.5 billion for charging infrastructure with a vow to add 500,000 EV charging stations by 2030. But that effort in reality has played out slowly so far, with only a handful of stations going live since the funding was approved two years ago. Addressing charging infrastructure is already high on the industry's list of priorities when it comes to removing barriers to adoption, but the fact that it might also drive existing EV owners away only amplifies the issue. Correction: July 9, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misidentified where respondents who said they were considering switching back to gas-powered cars because of charging issues were located. They were in 9 countries, not only the US.

EV charging is so bleak that some owners are considering going back to gas-powered cars, survey finds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The CEO of <keyword id="20763638" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tesla-rival" source="keywords">Tesla rival</keyword> Lucid had a scathing assessment of the EV market in the US.</li><li><keyword id="23975725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Peter-Rawlinson" source="keywords">Peter Rawlinson</keyword> said most electric cars in the US "frankly suck" and were underwhelming.</li></ul>The boss of one of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla">Tesla's</a> biggest rivals thinks he knows why the US public isn't being won over by EVs. Peter Rawlinson, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lucid-ceo-comments-tesla-losing-its-way-elon-musk-distracted-2024-5">CEO of Lucid Motors and a former VP of engineering at Tesla</a>, spoke on the Cars and Culture podcast last week that most of the <keyword id="19895203" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Electric-Vehicles" source="keywords">electric vehicles</keyword> on offer "frankly suck." Asked whether EVs in the US have a perception problem, Rawlinson said the problem was "not perception, but reality." "I think many people have driven EVs that frankly suck. I know because I drive all the competition," he said. "I think that the American public has been ill-served by underwhelming EVs," Rawlinson added. Rawlinson, who previously worked for Elon Musk and helped build Lucid, became CEO of Lucid in 2019. The EV startup is gearing up to launch its new electric SUV, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/luvid-gravity-suv-details-photos-tesla-topping-range-interior-cargo-2023-11" target="_blank">$94,900 Gravit</a>y, with production expected to start by the end of this year. Lucid has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-vs-lucid-which-is-better">touted its industry-leading technology</a> but continues to be stuck in the so-called EV "valley of death." The company reported revenues of $200 million in the most recent quarter and a net loss of $992 million. In August, it secured another $1.5 billion in investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, its majority shareholder. Meanwhile, EV sales growth in the US has slowed this year amid a dearth of affordable electric options. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average price of a new electric vehicle in the US in September was $56,000, compared to $48,397 for combustion-engine vehicles. <h2>China races ahead</h2>US automakers are grappling with the challenge posed by Chinese EV companies like BYD and Xiaomi, who have rolled out affordable electric vehicles packed with advanced technology. While these companies are unable to sell their cars in America due to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-criticizes-biden-plan-to-ban-chinese-tech-in-cars-2024-11">cripplingly high tariffs</a>, they are putting Western companies under pressure in China and attracting plaudits in the US, with Ford CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-ceo-driving-xiaomi-su7-electric-vehicles-ev-2024-10">Jim Farley praising Xiaomi's SU7 EV</a>. Rawlinson previously described China's automakers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lucid-chinese-automakers-years-behind-tesla-electric-vehicles-elon-musk-2024-5">as "years behind" the likes of Tesla</a> in terms of core EV technology. Speaking on the Cars and Culture podcast, he said Chinese companies like BYD were ahead of US rivals in battery chemistry and assisted driving technology — but said they benefit from an "uneven playing field" due to government subsidies. "I think the Chinese do have a fundamental advantage because when the government says go, they all go in the same direction instead of arguing with each other," Rawlinson said. A study from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank, released earlier this year, found that China has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-electric-vehicles-government-subsidies-win-ev-race-byd-tesla-2024-6">provided at least $230 billion in support</a> to electric vehicle makers such as BYD since 2009. "I'd say they're still behind in terms of the core EV powertrain technology, but don't underestimate them," Rawlinson added. Lucid did not respond to a request for comment, sent outside normal working hours. This story has been amended to state that the production of Lucid's Gravity SUV is scheduled to start at the end of 2024.

Drivers are being 'ill-served by underwhelming EVs,' says boss of Tesla rival Lucid 

The rise in <keyword id="20532742" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV-battery-manufacturing" source="keywords">EV battery manufacturing</keyword>, alongside the '<keyword id="20018809" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Make-in-India" source="keywords">Make in India</keyword>' initiative, will lower manufacturing costs and boost <keyword id="19914921" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV-sales" source="keywords">EV sales</keyword> in the country, according to industry experts. According to Liz Lee, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, <keyword id="21214947" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indias-EV-landscape" source="Orion">India's EV landscape</keyword> is on the cusp of significant growth. "Government initiatives such as the <keyword id="8941225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PLI-scheme" source="Orion">PLI scheme</keyword> for <keyword id="16365365" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Advanced-Chemistry-Cells" source="Orion">Advanced Chemistry Cells</keyword> (ACC) and the recent reduction in import duties on EVs under $35,000 to 15 per cent are game changers," said Lee. All this not only opens doors for <keyword id="107096" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tesla" source="Orion">Tesla</keyword> but also signals India's readiness to welcome significant investments and foster a new ecosystem for EVs and their component suppliers. "It is a clear sign that India's journey to become a major player in the global <keyword id="186291" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="EV" source="Orion">EV</keyword> market is accelerating," Lee noted. The EV ecosystem is in a fairly nascent stage. "While the conventional automobile manufacturing ecosystem is mature, the building blocks for a robust smart car manufacturing ecosystem, from the battery to infotainment to sensors to full ADAS/ADS, beckon," said Research Vice President Neil Shah. "This would span from the likes of Qualcomm and MediaTek designing and offering advanced auto components to BlackBerry providing safety and security software, to Foxconn reducing barriers for new entrants to India with its innovative MIH consortium-based 'localised' design and manufacturing model," Shah explained.

India's EV landscape set to be transformed with key govt initiatives: Industry experts

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla">Tesla</a> stands to benefit from any removal of consumer tax credits on electric vehicle purchases.</li><li>The move could hurt competitors more, CEO Elon Musk said.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> supports a Trump plan to end tax credits of up to $7,500 for electric vehicle purchases.That might sound confusing: Why would the CEO of Tesla want to end a program that makes it cheaper for people to buy EVs?Well, according to Musk, it would devastate Tesla's rivals. And Tesla wants to keep its strong lead in the US EV market, which recently slipped under 50% for the first time."I think it would be devastating for our competitors and for Tesla slightly," Musk said in a July earnings call, predicting the impact of the tax credits ending. "But long term probably actually helps Tesla, would be my guess."On Thursday, Reuters reported that Trump plans to end the EV tax credit, with support from Tesla representatives. In a related post on X, Musk called for an "end all government subsidies, including those for EVs, oil and gas."Tesla has had a longer time than some of its rivals to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-list-government-subsidies-tesla-billions-spacex-solarcity-2021-12">benefit from government subsidies</a>. Its market lead is well established, and it has led an EV pricing war that has squeezed its rivals, making it harder for them to survive if consumer demand falls even further.Put simply: Tesla wins if ending the tax credit pressures smaller rivals enough to stall their growth or even fold.<h2 id="91842e59-2373-4c08-abdd-17185b0bea0d">Tesla sells more EVs than anyone else, and more profitably</h2>In the third quarter of 2024, Tesla <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://digitalassets.tesla.com/tesla-contents/image/upload/IR/TSLA-Q3-2024-Update.pdf">reported</a> a pre-tax profit margin of 18%, well above the industry average of around 9%. Ford, the only competitor to break out its EV-specific finances, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://s201.q4cdn.com/693218008/files/doc_financials/2024/q3/Press-Release-Ford-2024-Q3-Earnings.pdf">reported</a> a -104% margin for its Model e unit.Yet many of Tesla's vehicles are also priced well below many competitors. The Model 3 starts at $42,490 (after a cheaper option disappeared earlier this year). That's well below the average EV price in the US, which held steady at nearly $57,000 in October, according to Kelley Blue Book data.In an effort to juice sales, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-can-make-cars-cheaper-than-competitors-2024-6">Tesla has drastically cut prices</a> on many of its cars over the past year, instigating an industry-wide price war that has cut into its own margin in pursuit of maintaining its industry-leading market share. Of the nearly 600,000 EVs sold in the US in the first half of 2023, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.coxautoinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Q2-2024-Kelley-Blue-Book-Electric-Vehicle-Sales-Report.pdf">half</a> were made by Tesla. Ford, in second place, accounted for just over 7% of EVs sold in the same period."While losing the EV tax credit could also hurt some demand on the margins in the US, this will enable Tesla to further fend off competition from Detroit as pricing/scale/scope is an apples to oranges when compared to the rest of the auto industry once the EV tax credit disappears," Dan Ives, a longtime bullish analyst at Wedbush, told clients in a note on Thursday.<h2 id="c6cefac7-9186-47f8-8f0a-f2fb65808785">Tesla is ahead of the curve in building a US manufacturing presence</h2>Eliminating the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-state-electric-car-vehicle-tax-credits-rebates-qualify">consumer tax credit</a>, part of President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, would need congressional approval. It's not yet clear if Trump and the incoming Republican-controlled Congress would also target other IRA tax incentives, like those supporting domestic manufacturing of cars, batteries, and other components. Competitors like BMW, Honda, and Hyundai have <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/20/tracking-the-ev-battery-factory-construction-boom-across-north-america/">raced</a> to scale up factories state-side to take advantage of those credits.Tesla has been ahead of this curve in manufacturing, too, with six US factories churning out cars and batteries. That work has paid off, and many Tesla models are regularly named as the most "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cars.com/american-made-index/">American-made</a>" compared to competitors, many of which rely on factories in Mexico. In fact, only one other American automaker even cracked the top 10 in 2024.Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja said in a July earnings call that the company has taken advantage of manufacturing credits, but "we always drive ourselves to say, OK, what if there is no IRA benefit? And how do we operate in that kind of an environment? Like Elon said, we definitely have a big advantage as compared to our competition on that front."In October, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an industry group representing Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota, and others, <a target="_blank" href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024/11/auto-trade-group-to-gop-tax-writers-keep-bidens-ev-credits-00189430">urged</a> Congress to keep the tax credits.The tax credits, including those for commercial leasing and manufacturing, are "critical to cementing the US as a global leader in the future of automotive technology and manufacturing," they said in an October letter to Congress published by <a target="_blank" href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/f/?id=00000193-277d-dea7-afbb-b77f708f0000">Politico</a>.The group, which does not include Tesla, did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.While Musk supports cutting the EV tax credit, reports of its potential demise appear to have spooked investors. Tesla shares fell about 5% following the Reuters report, while Rivian shares fell 11%.Musk and other Tesla leaders have long said autonomous vehicles are the future of Tesla, not just EVs, and encouraged potential investors to think much more long-term.Additional reporting by Benjamin Zhang.

Why Musk supports Trump getting rid of EV tax credits

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of battery found in electric vehicles.</li><li>Scientists found they contain PFAS or 'forever chemicals' found in air, water, snow, soil, and sediment.</li></ul>Scientists have uncovered a new source of hazardous "forever chemical" pollution: the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries found in most electric vehicles.Some lithium-ion battery technologies use a class of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-are-pfas-chemicals-2018-8">PFAS chemicals</a>, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, that helps make batteries less flammable and conduct electricity. Scientists found high levels of these PFAS in air, water, snow, soil, and sediment samples near plants that make those chemicals in the US, Belgium, and France, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49753-5">peer-reviewed study</a> in the journal Nature Communications.PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chart-how-long-hazardous-forever-chemicals-pfas-stay-in-blood-2023-3">build up quickly</a> in the environment, people, and animals and don't break down for thousands of years. They've been linked to a host of health conditions, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp200.pdf">liver damage</a>, high <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831917/">cholesterol</a>, low <a target="_blank" href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1408837/">birth weights</a>, and chronic <a target="_blank" href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/174/8/893/155305">kidney disease</a>.The findings underscore how switching to cleaner cars and renewable energy is key to solving the climate crisis, but comes with its own set of trade-offs that are still emerging and understudied. While the environmental and health impacts of mining lithium and other minerals used in batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and other technology are well documented, it's only now that researchers are uncovering lithium-ion batteries as a source of PFAS pollution."Slashing [carbon dioxide] emissions with innovations like electric cars is critical, but it shouldn't come with the side effect of increasing PFAS pollution," Jennifer Guelfo, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Texas Tech University and coauthor of the study, said in a statement.It's an issue of global concern because lithium-ion batteries are used worldwide, the study said. The same class of PFAS has recently been detected at low levels in European and Chinese water, but the source of the pollution was unclear.The specific class of PFAS that Guelfo's team found is called bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides, or bis-FASIs. Scientists tested more than a dozen lithium-ion batteries used in EVs and consumer electronics like laptops, and found bis-FASIs at various concentrations.It's hard to know just how widespread the chemicals are in specific lithium-ion batteries because there isn't enough research yet, Lee Ferguson, associate professor of environmental engineering at Duke University and coauthor of the study, said.Guelfo said bis-FASIs is comparable to "older notorious" chemicals like PFOA, in part because they are extremely difficult to degrade and studies show the chemicals change the behavior of aquatic organisms at low concentrations. PFOA has been phased out of production in the US but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/epa-hazardous-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-limits-2024-4">continues to pollute drinking water</a>.The study was the first "cradle-to-grave" evaluation of the environmental impacts of bis-FASI use in lithium-ion batteries. The effects of bis-FASIs in humans hasn't been studied yet.The scientists detected bis-FASIs chemicals at parts per billion levels — much higher than the limits the Environmental Protection Agency <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/epa-hazardous-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-limits-2024-4">set for PFAS in drinking water in April</a>. Strategies to get rid of PFAS in drinking water can also remove bis-FASIs, the study said, which should become more widely adopted due to EPA's regulations. However, chemical makers and some water utilities <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/21/nx-s1-5013957/pfas-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-rule-lawsuits">have challenged the agency in court.</a>Other routes of exposure to bis-FASIs exist. Air emissions data suggest the chemicals can travel to areas far from manufacturing sites. They can also leach into the environment from landfills, where the majority of lithium-ion batteries end up.The study said only about 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled, and by 2040, there could be some 8 million tons of lithium-ion battery waste.Guelfo said scientists, engineers, manufacturers, and policymakers need to develop battery technology and recycling solutions that don't exacerbate PFAS pollution."We need to be carefully evaluating these chemicals that are being used in sustainable energy infrastructure," Guelfo said. "We should be evaluating them now before it becomes a more widespread problem. We an opportunity to really maximize the idea of sustainability."Companies including 3M, Solvay, and Arkema either hold patents for bis-FASIs or advertise its production or use, the study said. (In December — after the research was conducted — Solvay spun off its specialty and applied chemical businesses into a new entity named Syensqo. The lithium battery business is housed there.)Scientists focused their research on areas near the companies' manufacturing plants in Minnesota, Kentucky, Antwerp, Belgium, and Salindres, France.3M has manufactured PFAS for decades and last year <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/business/3m-settlement-forever-chemicals-lawsuit.html">agreed to a $10 billion settlement</a> with US cities and towns over their claims that the company contaminated drinking water with forever chemicals. 3M said it will exit all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025.The company's settlement followed another agreement by Chemours, DuPont and Corteva to pay $1.19 billion to help resolve thousands of lawsuits.Correction: July 8, 2024 — This story was updated to clarify the name of one of the companies that make EV battery materials. After the research, Solvay spun off its lithium battery business into a new entity named Syensqo.

The most common type of EV battery is a growing source of 'forever chemical' pollution, scientists say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US lithium production is set to spike with new projects advancing in Nevada and California.</li><li>The expansion aims to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals and electric-vehicle batteries.</li></ul>The US is on the cusp of a lithium boom after years of laying the groundwork for an electric-vehicle supply chain that doesn't rely on China.Within the past month, the Biden administration has approved the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine in Nevada and loaned $2.6 billion to the company developing Thacker Pass, another lithium mine in the state. A project in California's Salton Sea started construction earlier this year. The three sites, expected to come online between 2026 and 2028, would massively increase the US's lithium supply. Since the 1960s, only one site, Silver Peak, in Nevada, has operated in the country.The expansion is aimed at curbing China's control over the metals used in EV batteries and other renewable-energy technologies that countries need to decarbonize their economies. While most of the world's lithium is produced in Australia and South America, some two-thirds of it is processed in China, which also dominates EV-battery manufacturing. The US imports about 25% of its lithium supply from Chile and Argentina, but an analysis of federal data by the Atlantic Council found that it relied on China for about 70% of its lithium-ion batteries in 2023."If we're electrifying the transportation industry, you don't want to rely on any one country," Bernard Rowe, a managing director of Ioneer, which is developing Rhyolite Ridge, told Business Insider. "There was a recognition that there had to be domestic production."<div type="image" title="A customs officer holds powdery white lithium carbonate during an inspection at Shanghai İnternational Port on June 6, 2022." height="683" width="1024" msid="114817441" hostid="261" sizebytes="27062"></div>The Biden administration is encouraging US mining and manufacturing through a mix of loans, grants, tax breaks, and research and development programs — a lot of which was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act. The incentives cover activities including extracting critical minerals like lithium; manufacturing solar, wind, and battery parts; buying EVs; and recycling components.Rowe argued that while the US alone can't meet the skyrocketing demand for lithium due to rising sales of EVs and battery storage, some of the supply has to be sourced domestically for national security reasons.Karl Friedhoff, a fellow for Asia studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, agreed. He said there's no world in which the US and its partners can quickly compete with China on critical minerals; China already has so much capacity that it sets global prices."The question then is, can the US and other partner countries create a supply chain that meets their basic requirements," Friedhoff, who's part of a project exploring how the US, Japan, Australia, and India can cooperate to shift supply chains away from China. "Can we supply our own batteries? Can we build our own battery technologies? Do we have enough rare-earth elements for defense?"Based on estimates from Ioneer and other lithium project developers, the US could produce more than enough supply for the 1.4 million EVs sold in the country last year, which accounted for 7% of the auto market.The Biden administration wants EVs to account for at least 50% of car sales by 2030, and states like California and Texas are quickly deploying more battery storage to help balance stressed power grids. In September, the White House said US lithium production was on track to meet one-fifth of global demand outside of China this decade.<h2 id="c11b28df-2899-481e-8b55-b52898315793">Some environmentalists, Native tribes are alarmed</h2>The lithium projects haven't been without controversy, however. The Center for Biological Diversity <a target="_blank" href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/blm-grants-final-approval-to-nevada-lithium-mine-threatening-biodiversity-cultural-landscapes-2024-10-24/?_gl=1*jmu4dt*_gcl_au*MTc3Mjg1OTA3Ni4xNzI5ODYzNzkz">has threatened to sue the Biden administration</a> over its permit for Rhyolite Ridge, arguing that the project could drive an endangered wildflower to extinction. The Western Shoshone Defense Project, which works to protect the Western Shoshone peoples' native homelands, says the mine threatens local water sources and culturally important sites.<div type="image" title="A Tiehm's buckwheat plant in Esmeralda County, Nevada, grows beside where the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine is planned." height="682" width="1024" msid="114817435" hostid="261" sizebytes="82450"></div>Thacker Pass faced similar opposition, but a federal judge last year dismissed a lawsuit from three Native tribes who argued that the mine's construction near a sacred site along Nevada's border with Oregon violated the law, <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/lithium-mine-tribes-climate-energy-lawsuit-nevada-7a65eee7d78d93a1e44e3f8e10445143">the AP reported</a>.Rowe said Ioneer redesigned the Rhyolite Ridge mine to limit its footprint in the critical habitat of the endangered wildflower, Tiehm's buckwheat. He said Ioneer would also monitor the pollinator population and adopt dust-control strategies. The Biden administration, in issuing the permit for the mine, said it would not jeopardize the flower's survival.Some companies are working on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lithium-mining-electric-vehicles-climate-crisis-2023-5">direct lithium extraction techniques</a> that don't involve open-pit mining or large evaporation ponds and therefore could require less land and water and produce less toxic chemical waste. Controlled Thermal Resources is developing such a project in the Salton Sea, where lithium-rich brine is already being used to power geothermal plants.Tapping the US's newly discovered lithium resources likely hinges on the new extraction techniques, which currently cost more than traditional methods and still haven't been used commercially. The US Geological Survey this month estimated that there's enough lithium underneath southwestern Arkansas to meet the projected global demand for car batteries in 2030 nine times over.Actually extracting that lithium, including from brines left over from oil and gas production in the region, depends on whether the direct extraction techniques are viable, USGS researchers said.

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