As the Biden administration promises to jump-start the clean-energy economy, it faces an uphill climb: The United States has fallen behind Asia and Europe in the race to produce the central technology — the high-tech batteries that power electric cars and store solar and wind energy.
China dominates battery production today, with 93 “gigafactories” that manufacture lithium-ion battery cells, vs. only four in the United States, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a prominent data provider. If current trends continue, China is projected to have 140 gigafactories by 2030, while Europe will have 17 and the United States, just 10.
That would leave the United States dependent on China and other trading partners for much of its battery supply, a risky proposition not just for the auto industry but for the military, which is planning to electrify more of its vehicles and gear. It would also mean missing out on much of the jobs boom the sector is expected […]
I hope our “catching up” does not kill me, because I will always have to use my old gas powered cars because I have no other choice. I drive very little though. That is the point I want to make here: it all depends upon how much you drive. My main car has only 120,000 miles plus a little more now and has had 120,000 plus miles for five years or more now. I drive less than 20 miles a day and usually much less than that; so my old gas cars make CO2 very little because I drive very little.