We’re at 2% EVs. Biggest threat to 100%?

<p>US President Biden said his goal is that 50% of cars sold in 2030 will be zero-emission vehicles: less than 9 years away. So … is that doable?</p> <p>Maybe, but the US needs 10X more rare earths for magnets.</p> <p>Currently, less than 2% of cars on American roads are electric. About 17-19M cars are sold in the US annually, and a little over 300,000 are EVs. So we’re at about 2%.</p> <p>One of the things you need is batteries. The other is electric drivetrains, and for that you need rare earths for magnets: neodymium, &nbsp;praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium. Plus, of course, lithium for batteries. It't not just electric cars ... the F-35 fighter jet needs a ton of rare earths. Wind power requires it, and so do batteries that power energy storage for green economy plans.</p> <p>In fact, according to Pini Althaus, CEO of USA Rare Earth, the U.S. needs 10X more by 2030, and maybe 25X more by 2050.</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Links:</strong></p> <p>Support TechFirst with $SMRT coins: <a href="https://rally.io/creator/SMRT/"><u>https://rally.io/creator/SMRT/</u></a></p> <p>Buy $SMRT to join a community focused on tech for good: the emerging world of smart matter. Access my private Slack, get your name in my book, suggest speakers for TechFirst ... and support my work.</p> <p>TechFirst transcripts: https://johnkoetsier.com/category/tech-first/</p> <p>Forbes columns: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/</p> <p>Subscribe to the podcast: https://anchor.fm/techfirst</p> <p>Full videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/johnkoetsier?sub_confirmation=1</p> <p>Keep in touch: https://twitter.com/johnkoetsier</p> <p><br></p> <p>0:00 USA electric vehicle goals</p> <p>2:00 Rare earths</p> <p>5:06 China and rare earths</p> <p>6:59 How much do we need?</p> <p>10:50 Increasing production of rare earths</p> <p>12:28 Environmental concerns</p> <p>14:08 How China secures resources</p> <p>15:24 Is there enough in the US?</p> <p>17:41 National security implications</p>