A lithium mine for EV batteries is coming to Arkansas, says Exxon
arstechnica.com
With EV incentives tied to domestic battery content, US lithium mines are needed.

Exxon will mine lithium for electric vehicle batteries in Arkansas::With EV incentives tied to domestic battery content, US lithium mines are needed.

  • Synthuir@lemmy.mlEnglish
    52·
    1 year ago

    Lithium mining isn’t exactly “environmentally clean”. At 500,000 gallons of water per metric ton of lithium mined and ~10kg of lithium per car battery, that makes each electric car take up at least 5,000 gallons of water just from the extraction process of the lithium, to say nothing of refining, transportation, and other components that also use lithium.

    Aaaand that’s all assuming there’s no localized pollution from the extraction process!

    Electric cars are not here to save us.

    • girthero@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      It may suck but its a path to get off fossil fuels which are worse overall. Also, alternative battery technologies are being developed that have less lithium and cobalt needs. I would like to see interchangeable batteries from manufactures so new batteries can easily be installed on old cars without it being a hardship to the owner.

    • Ильдар@lemmy.worldEnglish
      41·
      1 year ago

      read about the lithium separation process, water evaporates into the environment rather than being used from it

    • mx_smith@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      They will just use the water from fracking. I’m not surprised Arkansas is allowing this, just look who the governor is.