Selected Metal Materials in Automotive Electrical Engineering—A Brief Overview of the State of the Art

Abstract

The work presents selected material issues related to the development of modern motorization. The advantages and threats of obtaining key materials for the automotive industry were analyzed. Aspiration to radically reduce CO2 emissions sets the main trend in the automotive industry focused on the production of electric cars. The production of electric cars is closely related to the development of innovative battery production technologies using such critical elements as lithium, magnesium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite. Their acquisition and production of components is concentrated in several countries around the world, including China, which is their main supplier. The lack of diversification of supplies and the huge expected increase in demand for these materials, resulting from the exponential growth in the production of electric cars, pose threats to supply chains. One of the solutions is the development of effective technologies for battery recycling. There is a risk of losing many jobs as a result of changes in the automotive market and the withdrawal of classic cars from production. Taking into account the scope, pace, and changes resulting from changes in the automotive industry, in particular in the field of materials, one should expect their global impact on the economy.