RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian Automotive Inc., is warning that the auto industry may soon face a shortfall of battery supplies for electric vehicles, a problem he believes may outstrip the current computer-chip deficit.
Car makers are attempting to lock up limited supply of battery-making raw materials such as cobalt, lithium, and nickel, and several are building their own battery plants in order to put more battery-powered vehicles on the market.
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Building enough batteries, according to Mr. Scaringe, will be one of the most difficult challenges for an industry attempting to increase electric vehicle sales from a few million now to tens of millions within a decade. According to him, shortages will arise everywhere from the mining of raw materials through the processing of those materials to the manufacturing of battery cells themselves.