Growing EV uptake drives sustainable lithium sourcing in South America

With demand for lithium set to increase exponentially in the medium term, due to the growing uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide, companies along the lithium supply chains continue to announce plans for responsible extraction of the battery raw material.

Daimler, BASF, Fairphone and Volkswagen Group recently created the Responsible Lithium Partnership, which intends to work towardsresponsible lithium sourcing in Chile's Salar de Atacama region.
"The region's ecosystem is fragile, and there is lack of consensus regarding the effects and risks of lithium mining and other economic activities in the region," according to a statement released on June 10 by German carmaker Daimler, owner of the Mercedes-Benz brand.
The partnership will set up a platform "to facilitate a common understanding of the status quo and jointly develop a shared vision for the future of the Salar de Atacama watershed," the statement said.

Work was expected to...

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