I'm curious about the behind-the-scenes facts surrounding the manufacture, disposal, and replacement of potloads of Li batteries when "everyone (in the world)" is eventually using them in their personal vehicles:
- How large is the world's supply of lithium natural resources?
- What countries are going to supply the above?
- What are the geo-political implications of these various Li sources?
- Are we eventually talking about freight trains transporting lithium resource materials in several parts of the world ... like used to be/is the case with coal? (Petroleum and natural gas can be transported through pipes in a lot of areas - instead of via a string of freight cars.)
- What does the total infrastructure for disposal of expired Li batteries look like?
- Can expired Li batteries be recycled ... or must they be completely disposed of?
- Looking at the huge eye-sore piles of scrapped electronic products awaiting recycling or melting down or burying in certain countries (not the U.S.) ... is this how depleted Li batteries are going to wind up in certain unfortunate countries?
- What does the total infrastructure for replacement of the Li batteries in vehicles look like? Purchased on eBay, sold by Amazon, sold by Walmart, etc. and then taken to a service point for installation? Only dealers can source and install them? Shade tree mechanics and/or EV owners can install them? When they go so flat at one's home and one lives too far from a replacement facility, how does one get their EV to a facility for replacement (gas and diesel can be taken in a smal container to a vehicle needing refueling)? Are we talking about a whole new cottage industry of Li batteries replacement at the owner's place of residence?
- As a very rough comparison ... what are the behind-the-scenes logistics surrounding how are the world's supply of expired dry cell batteries and lead acid vehicle batteries are disposed of?
I hope that the world's solutions to all of the above don't wind up polluting Mother Earth more than use of fossil fuel does.
