Circular economy can mitigate rising mining demand from global vehicle electrification

Electrifying vehicles towards a zero-emission future raises concerns about resource sustainability, primarily because of the expected increase in resource use. However, the magnitude of this potential increase in resource extraction through mining activities and the underlying driving factors remain unclear. This study quantifies the total natural resource use in the global automotive sector by 2050 and explores the potential impact of circular economy strategies on resource use mitigation. Global resource use was found to be on an upward trend, exceeding approximately two to three times higher in 2050 than in 2015. However, our analysis indicates that implementing circular economy strategies (e.g., social servicing and recycling) and new battery technologies can curb the resource extraction demand through mining without exceeding the current resource use levels. Thus, vehicle electrification can be achieved without increasing resource use if a set of circular economy strategies is concurrently and ambitiously implemented.