Advanced materials supply considerations for electric vehicle applications

Electric vehicles are now proliferating based on technologies and components that in turn rely on the use of strategic materials and mineral resources. This review article discusses critical materials considerations for electric drive vehicles, focusing on the underlying component technologies and materials. These mainly include materials for advanced batteries, motors and electronics, lightweight structures, and other components specific to each vehicle type. Particularly strategic and widely used minerals and elements/structures for electric vehicles include nickel, cobalt, rare-earth minerals, lightweight and high strength steel alloys and underlying metals (e.g., magnesium and aluminum), carbon fiber, graphite and graphene, copper, and steel alloying materials. Additional key considerations include those around component and vehicle supply chains, repurposing and recycling vehicle components at end of vehicle life, and environmental and humanitarian considerations around the extraction and transport of the evolving set of materials needed for modern electric vehicle production.