Electric car: Stellantis boss warns of battery and raw material shortages

Created: 05/15/2022, 06:07

By: Simon Mones

Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares has predicted a battery and raw material shortage.

It could be so far in just a few years.

Hoofddorp (Netherlands) – Those who want to buy a new car these days don't have it easy.

The persistent lack of chips continues to cause long waiting times.

The fact that parts such as wiring harnesses are missing due to the Ukraine war and that there are repeated production losses as a result does not make the situation any better.

However, it should not be the last crisis, as Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares (63) expects a shortage of batteries and raw materials due to the transition to electromobility.

The manager expects the battery supply problems to hit the auto industry around 2025 or 2026.

“And if there is no shortage of batteries, then there will be a significant western world dependence on Asia.

That's something we can easily foresee," Tavares said at a Financial Times conference.

Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares supports the switch to electromobility, but also warns of the consequences.

Like a battery and raw material shortage.

(Iconic image) © Vincent Isore/Imago

Electric car: Stellantis boss warns of battery and raw material shortages

However, the problem is home-made: For a long time, the established manufacturers relied on batteries from the leading suppliers in Asia for their electric cars.

In the meantime, however, a rethink has taken place here.

Together with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis wants to manufacture its own batteries as part of the ACC joint venture.

However, it will take a few years to set up the factories and ramp up the capacity.

Accordingly, the manufacturers remained dependent on suppliers such as LG Chem, Samsung (both South Korea), Panasonic (Japan) and CATL (China) for the time being, as "ecomento.de" reports.

Electric car: Stellantis boss fears geopolitical risks

But the battery shortage will not remain the only problem that is rolling towards the auto industry.

The Stellantis boss also predicts a shortage of raw materials that could entail structural challenges.

Compared to combustion engines, electric cars are real heavyweights and weigh 500 kilograms more on average.

"That means a lot of raw material mining, that ultimately means a shortage of raw materials, that ultimately means geopolitical risks," explained Tavares.

"We may not like the way these raw materials are sourced in a few years' time."

The Stellantis boss is alluding to the mining of cobalt, among other things.

Electric car: Stellantis boss criticizes the lack of vision for the long-term effects of the mobility change

Similar to Herbert Diess at Volkswagen, Tavares is also pushing ahead with electrification at Stellantis.

Peugeot should be purely electric from 2030 – at least in Europe.

The 68-year-old is also critical of the switch to the alternative drive type.

Although automakers are focused on the technology and are ready to bring electric cars to market, the industry and politicians lack a vision for the long-term effects of mobility change.

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"What's next?

Where's the clean energy?

Where is the charging infrastructure?

Where are the raw materials?

What are the geopolitical risks in sourcing these commodities?

Who has the big picture of this change in view?” said the Stellantis boss at the conference of the “Financial Times”.