May 03, 2016

Lithium market fluctuations unlikely to significantly impact battery prices

Global lithium prices have more than doubled over the last six months as battery producers scramble to secure purchasing rights from an increasingly consolidated number of lithium producers, who find themselves able to demand premium pricing as a result of a delay in bringing more lithium production capabilities online. This could be particularly concerning for the manufacturers of lithium-ion cells for electric vehicles. To address this, a new study by MSE/EPP’s Jay Whitacre has found that even large increases in lithium prices are unlikely to significantly increase the cost of batteries.

http://engineering.cmu.edu/media/press/2016/05_03_lithium_market_fluctuations.html