Metal requirements for road-based electromobility transitions in Sweden

Journal article, 2023

This research investigated the metal requirements for electrifying Swedish cars and heavy-duty trucks and refueling infrastructure. We assessed vehicle and infrastructure metal use given four cornerstone scenarios: battery electric vehicles and chargers, conductive and inductive electric road systems, and fuel-cell vehicles, besides an internal combustion engine scenario. Twenty-seven metals were evaluated. To our knowledge, this study presents a first attempt to develop a detailed inventory of prevailing and prospective charging infrastructures. Our study estimated total metal requirement at 7400–9600 kt and infrastructure share at 6%–25% (200–2400 kt). Infrastructure requires about 15% of gold, 30%–40% of silver and copper, and 40%–60% of molybdenum. Results revealed that the following metal flows contribute the most to long-term resource scarcities: rhodium in fossil-fueled vehicles; gold in electric vehicles; palladium and gold in conductive and copper and palladium in inductive electric road systems; as well as platinum in fuel cells.