Apr 17, 2018 Guest(s): Bodo Albrecht Founder, BASIQ
The electrification of the automotive industry may curtail demand for precious and base metals, specifically those metals used as catalytic converters in today's petroleum engines like rhodium, platinum, and palladium, said Bodo Albrecht, founder of the BASIQ Corporation and president of the IPMI.
"Battery electric vehicles do not require precious metals, while hydrogen electric vehicles, the fuel cells, will require precious metals," Albrecht told Kitco News on the sidelines of the IPMI Precious Metals Mobility Symposium.
Albrecht noted that the transition from our current petro-based ecosystem to any other technology is a lengthy process that would take decades, so metals are not in any immediate danger, although the industry is already taking steps to adopt evolving technologies.
"If you look at the major players in the field, the major catalyst suppliers...they're all evolving into battery materials and hydrogen fuel cells for that reason. But again, it's a long time out," he said.