Research on electromobility (E-mobility), conducted by IDTechEx, demonstrates that copper will play a critical role in three key areas: energy storage, charging infrastructure and the production of electric vehicles. Just as internal combustion engine vehicles require a network of filling stations, electric vehicles require a charging infrastructure based on copper technologies.
Energy storage is thought to be the most copper-intensive component in the electromobility spectrum. It’s estimated that for every kilowatt-hour of a lithium ion battery, 0.5 kilograms of copper is used. Projections show this could result in as much as 600 kilotonnes of additional copper demand by 2027.