[RITVT]

NYT piece on the race for Cobalt in the Congo from the Daily

The Global Race to Mine the Metal of the Future

The quest for cobalt, which is essential for electric-car batteries, has fueled a cycle of exploitation, greed and gamesmanship.

www.nytimes.com

The Dark Side of Congo’s Cobalt Rush

The Dark Side of Congo’s Cobalt Rush

Cell phones and electric cars rely on the mineral, causing a boom in demand. Locals are hunting for this buried treasure—but are getting almost none of the profit.

www.newyorker.com

 

[BlackH20]

Cobalt is being phased out of EVs, Trump's energy department put the mineral on alert because of the cobalt mined in Congo (under inhuman conditions), and all the profits all went to China. The 2019 plan zeroes right in on cobalt, which the Energy Department has identified as a critical material at the highest risk for supply chain issues.
"The first generation of lithium-ion batteries for consumer electronics contained cathodes with 60% cobalt. The first generation of EV batteries contained 33% cobalt in cathodes, while current commercial cathodes in EV batteries contain 15-20% cobalt, and industry is actively developing 10% cobalt cathodes," they summarize.
That's all well and good, but the 2019 battery plan still warned of potential supply chain risks with the growth of the electric vehicle marketplace. Even 10% cobalt involves future supply chain risks.
Still, China gets the money at this point as always, so yes we may be helping the environment on our side of the planet, but it is a nasty business on the other side of the same rock: Ranked: Top 25 nations producing battery metals for the EV supply chain