Vulnerable Links in the Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain

Abstract

Li-ion batteries have reached an inflection point. In the course of the next 5–10 years, the industry that manufactures them is expected to grow as much as ten times its current size. The supply chain that feeds the materials into that industry also has to expand at a similar rate. Will it be able to do so? Answering that question is crucial to the future of Li-ion batteries and their ability to solve a host of societal problems, from balancing a renewables-driven electricity grid to electrifying the entire transportation sector.