From Minerals to Megawatts 2025
Page 8 of 39 · WEF_From_Minerals_to_Megawatts_2025.pdf
Total minerals and metals mass in passenger EVs: ~900-1000kg
Value chain contribution to global demand of minerals and metals (2035)
Li Co C REEs Ni Mg Cu Ta AI Zn Ag Mn PO Si Fe Pb Au
86% 55% 36% 33% 28% 25% 10% 8% 7% 5% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1%EV wiring and power electronics
~3-4% of minerals and metals used in EV
Copper ~27
Aluminium ~3
Gold <0.1
Silicon <0.1
Silver <0.1
Tin ~0.2
Tantalum <0.1
Lithium ~8 ~8 ~8 ~8
Cobalt ~5 ~10 ~5 ~20
Nickel ~40 ~30 ~20
Manganese ~5 ~15 ~80 ~20
Iron ~40 ~25
Phosphorus ~20 ~10EV battery pack
~30-40% of minerals and metals used in EV
Graphite ~40
Silicon ~1
Aluminium ~30
Copper ~20
Steel ~20
Plug-in hybrid EV
(leveraging lead-acid battery)
Lead ~12EV motor
~2-4% of minerals and metals used in EV
Rare earths ~0.7
Steel ~20
Copper ~7
Aluminium ~1.4
Structure (chassis and body)
~50-65% of minerals and metals used in EV
Steel ~385
Aluminium ~145
Magnesium ~8
Zinc ~12Cathode
chemistry
High nickel
Low/mid
nickel
High
manganeseLFP
Sodium-ion
High (>50%) Moderate (10-50%) Low (1-10%) Negligible (<1%)EV component breakdown by mineral (kgs per vehicle) FIGURE 3
Note: Based on average EV battery size in 2024 of 60 kilowatt-hour (kWh); percentage value refers only to the mass of metals and minerals and not the total
vehicle mass.
Sources: S&P Global, ICCT,4 IEA5 and Kearney analysis
From Minerals to Megawatts: Building Resilience for EVs, Data Centres and Power Grids
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