The global move towards the electrification of vehicles continues to gather momentum. In 2010, the number of electric cars on the world’s roads reached 7.2 million, of which 46% were in China (iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2020). By 2030, the number of electric cars is expected to swell to 250 million, a massive growth in a relatively short time.
China mines 94 to 97% of the rare earth metals globally, and while there have been increasing efforts in the US and Europe to find alternative supplies, the complex and highly polluting extraction process is proving problematic.
