2026The year by when Europe could produce enough EV battery cells to meet its own demand – if planned gigafactories go ahead
Batteries
To ensure the transition to electric vehicles is truly sustainable and just, Europe needs strict environmental and social safeguards for its battery supply chains and the onshoring of core parts of the EV value chain.
The challenge
Demand for battery raw materials in Europe will increase rapidly between now and 2050 as the continent races to switch to zero-emissions road transport, which is essential for its climate goals.
The concerns about a sharp increase in demand are two-fold: insufficient raw materials supply could lead to market volatility and slow down the transition to a net-zero economy; and that mining expansion, without appropriate regulatory safeguards in place, can pose environmental and social risks.
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