How many years would it take to mine enough lithium to make enough batteries to replace all of the internal combustion engines in the world?

[Cardinal Carminative]

Because I haven't added in the growth rate for future demand?

As it stands now we need 17,712,640 metric tons of lithium and 8 cubic miles of water every eight years. That will require a 17,700% increase in lithium production.

It almost sounds like some scenario, say, where horses are the primary mode of transportation for millennia and then someone invents a thing called a "car". How on earth will this possibly supplant the horse? Do you realize how much more iron will be required??? And tires? Are you joking! We don't have THAT much rubber available to us! And don't even get me started on the kind of FUEL that stuff uses. Imagine replacing all the horses with THOSE things. LOL.

Never going to happen.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The current rate of mining lithium is 100,000 metric tons. The amount of lithium needed to replace all internal combustion engines is 17,712,640 metric tons. So the number of years to mine enough lithium to replace all internal combustion engines is 177 years (17,712,640 metric tons divided by 100,000 metric tons per year).

Annual Lithium Mining Production

Global lithium production 2022 | Statista

Lithium mines produced an estimated global total of 130,000 metric tons in 2022, a peak in production.

www.statista.com

The amount of lithium needed to replace all internal combustion engines in the world




Any questions?

We will be mining asteroids long before then

 

[ding]

We will be mining asteroids long before then

I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.

 

[ding]

It almost sounds like some scenario, say, where horses are the primary mode of transportation for millennia and then someone invents a thing called a "car". How on earth will this possibly supplant the horse? Do you realize how much more iron will be required??? And tires? Are you joking! We don't have THAT much rubber available to us! And don't even get me started on the kind of FUEL that stuff uses. Imagine replacing all the horses with THOSE things. LOL.

Never going to happen.

Says the girl who can't come to grips with reality. I am telling you the resource requirement needed to replace internal combustion engines with lithium ion batteries. It's just math.

 

[daveman]

LOL.

There is a noticeable lack of proof of your claim in your response.

You know when cars came around they were NOT more economical or more scalable than horses.

And nobody tried to outlaw horses, either, after cars were invented.

And I bet you thought you scored a devastating point, too. Oh, well.

And you wouldn't know what it means to develop any technology. Some of us actually have. Some of us have quite a few patents as well.

But you get to sit in the cheap seats and kvetch.

Come on down to the field and try to see if you have what it takes.

What have you patented? And how could I verify that? You'd be stupid to publish your real name here.

And yes, I do get to complain. Y'all are trying to dictate how I should live my life, when you know nothing of it.

 

[daveman]

Having to mine 177 times the current lithium annual mining rate and do that every 7 years can't be done economically or environmentally.

Remember, we're dealing with people who operate solely on emotion. They WANT it to be true, so it is!

 

[ding]

Remember, we're dealing with people who operate solely on emotion. They WANT it to be true, so it is!

That must be it. The numbers are what the numbers are. No one has disputed the numbers yet.

 

[daveman]

Says the girl who can't come to grips with reality. I am telling you the resource requirement needed to replace internal combustion engines with lithium ion batteries. It's just math.

Math is racist.

 

[daveman]

That must be it. The numbers are what the numbers are. No one has disputed the numbers yet.

They can just tax the rich some more!

 

[Cardinal Carminative]

Remember, we're dealing with people who operate solely on emotion. They WANT it to be true, so it is!

You guys do realize that you are arguing against your imagination, right?

If no one doubts the numbers that's one thing. The key is that some of us understand that technology takes time to develop and scale.

All your faux concern about any of this stuff is more than offset by the grotesque environmental impact of YOUR favored technologies. You just like the fact that you came along when those things had become established and are as cheap as the market will bear.

I have to laugh because you guys are all typing those comments using computers. That pretty much sums up my points to a near fractal degree.

 

[Cardinal Carminative]

They can just tax the rich some more!

It's statistically unlikely YOU benefit from the things that protect the ultra-wealthy. Most of us don't. The "death tax" is hilarious to watch because they get poor foot soldiers who would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS be impacted by that tax but they are convinced the carry water for people who couldn't care less about them.

You actually DO live in a "progressive tax scheme" (that's the kind of tax system we have) which is actually one of the FEW things that benefits folks like you and me.

And you guys are playing lickspittle to the ultra-wealthy who get taxed at a lower rate than YOU do for capital gains where they make millions every year.

Who's the sucker?

 

[daveman]

You guys do realize that you are arguing against your imagination, right?

I realize that's what you have to believe.

If no one doubts the numbers that's one thing. The key is that some of us understand that technology takes time to develop and scale.

All your faux concern about any of this stuff is more than offset by the grotesque environmental impact of YOUR favored technologies. You just like the fact that you came along when those things had become established and are as cheap as the market will bear.

I have to laugh because you guys are all typing those comments using computers. That pretty much sums up my points to a near fractal degree.

Why should you laugh about that? Your computer is using electricity, your internet connection is using electricity, your user account here is using electricity. Do you know for sure that all that power is generated by a green method? No?

They you're a hypocrite.

 

[daveman]

It's statistically unlikely YOU benefit from the things that protect the ultra-wealthy. Most of us don't. The "death tax" is hilarious to watch because they get poor foot soldiers who would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS be impacted by that tax but they are convinced the carry water for people who couldn't care less about them.

You actually DO live in a "progressive tax scheme" (that's the kind of tax system we have) which is actually one of the FEW things that benefits folks like you and me.

And you guys are playing lickspittle to the ultra-wealthy who get taxed at a lower rate than YOU do for capital gains where they make millions every year.

Who's the sucker?

I was mocking leftists who believe the rich have infinite money, and if we just take enough of it, everything will be awesome!

You know -- leftists like you.

 

[johngaltshrugged]

I'm glad people who have actually been involved in such sort of R&D amuse you.



Well, I DO have experience working in the field, so there's that.



You hypocrites always find problems with OTHER people's use of the same things YOU RELY ON.



Education might take YOU further. You should try it.

Again you try to defend your greenie pipe dreams by gaslighting.
Get back to me when you can contradict the fact we are many decades away from this as a remote possibility & have a plan for the real the environmental damage it will cause.
Like I said, ignorance & an EV won't get you far

 

[Sunsettommy]

It's statistically unlikely YOU benefit from the things that protect the ultra-wealthy. Most of us don't. The "death tax" is hilarious to watch because they get poor foot soldiers who would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS be impacted by that tax but they are convinced the carry water for people who couldn't care less about them.

You actually DO live in a "progressive tax scheme" (that's the kind of tax system we have) which is actually one of the FEW things that benefits folks like you and me.

And you guys are playing lickspittle to the ultra-wealthy who get taxed at a lower rate than YOU do for capital gains where they make millions every year.

Who's the sucker?

Many here are waiting for a math based argument from you, when is it coming?

 

[daveman]

Many here are waiting for a math based argument from you, when is it coming?

Math is racist.

 

[ding]

The price of lithium is soaring, up 280% since Jan. 2021.

 

[daveman]

The price of lithium is soaring, up 280% since Jan. 2021.

View attachment 648444

You can't afford gas? Buy an electric car!

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.

I'm not going to be around to see it anyway

 

[Cardinal Carminative]

I realize that's what you have to believe.

Believe me when I say that NO ONE is surprised if the Li mining is currently less than some future forecast that is higher.

(That's actually pretty simple to understand)

Why should you laugh about that? Your computer is using electricity, your internet connection is using electricity, your user account here is using electricity. Do you know for sure that all that power is generated by a green method? No?

Mine is. I have solar.

They you're a hypocrite.

Nice try.