Lithium is a critical component of electric vehicles, as it does not fully meet the sustainability aspects of an automobile. Although Tesla is a reference in the electricity sector, the lithium issue is not in its favor.
A new study shows that the manufacturer consumes more lithium than the four competing electric vehicle manufacturers combined.
Tesla extrapolates lithium consumption from competing manufacturers
As a new report published Intelligence Adamas, Tesla currently consumes more lithium than the following four electric vehicle manufacturers. They are BYD, Volkswagen, Renault and Audi.
If we think of the big groups, rather than their individual brands, Tesla has outgrown its closest competitors, the Volkswagen Group and BYD.
Although in the first three quarters of 2020 all consumption Lithium The company was in the form of lithium hydroxide, and the launch of the 3 Standard Range Plus RWD with LFP batteries in China reduced the ratio to 84%.
So, in 2020, Tesla used about 18,700 tons of lithium in its electric cars. Specifically, 67% is lithium in Model 3, 17% in Model Y, and the remaining 16% in Model S and X.
As expected, much of the lithium consumed by Tesla went to cars sold in North America, accounting for 47% of its home market. In contrast, Asia is 34% and Europe 19%. Other regions, in addition to the three largest and most important markets, totaled around 1%.
Although Tesla consumes more lithium than competing manufacturers, we must not forget that it was World leader In electric vehicle sales, last year, it produced 509,737 units.
Competition consumes more cobalt
The Volkswagen Group used the most cobalt in 2020, with around 3000 tons in its batteries. Volkswagen electric cars accounted for 42%, Audi 35%, Porsche 15% and the rest 8%.
Tesla only emerged after the brands of the Volkswagen Group, as it consumed around 2,000 tons of cobalt in its electric cars.
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