Assessing Metal Use and Scarcity Impacts of Vehicle Gliders

Journal article, 2024

This study assesses the metal composition of two vehicle gliders, configured with different equipment levels and evaluates the risk of short and long-term metal scarcity. Entropy analysis is also used for insights on secondary metal recovery strategies. Fifty-five metals are evaluated, with gold, copper, bismuth, lead, molybdenum, and certain rare-earth metals (REMs) subject to the largest supply risks. Differences in equipment levels significantly impact the short-term supply risk for specific metals. Entertainment and communications equipment contain significant amounts of REMs, whereas mirrors and electrical infrastructure contain considerable shares of gold, silver and copper. Some metals are concentrated in a few components while some are dispersed across thousands, impacting recycling opportunities. The broad metal demand of the gliders underscores the automotive industry's role in supply risks for its own manufacturing needs and other societal domains. This emphasizes the significance of comprehensively evaluating metal requirements beyond powertrains for informed resource management.